The third edition of the Global Atlas of Palliative Care was launched at the 50th Montréal International Palliative Care Congress, providing an updated global overview of the need for palliative care and access to services worldwide.
The Atlas highlights both progress and persistent inequalities in access to palliative care. An estimated 73.5 million people worldwide need palliative care each year, yet specialised services meet only around 14% of this need. In low- and middle-income countries, just 4% of people requiring palliative care receive it.
The report also highlights the significant need for paediatric palliative care. An estimated 10.6 million children worldwide need palliative care, with 96.2% living in low- and middle-income countries. These figures underline the importance of improving access to appropriate, compassionate care for children and their families.
The Atlas further challenges common assumptions about palliative care, showing that 62.4% of people who need it require support before their final year of life. It also identifies major gaps in access to essential controlled medicines, with 80% of the global population having little or no access to them.
To address these challenges, the Atlas sets out ten recommendations for national governments, including integrating palliative care into health financing, strengthening the healthcare workforce and expanding access to paediatric palliative care.
The third edition provides an important resource for policymakers, healthcare professionals and advocates working to ensure that palliative care is accessible to everyone who needs it, including children and their families.
Read the Global Atlas of Palliative Care, 3rd edition: Access the Atlas.
View some snapshots of the Atlas here.