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Palliative care in Nepal : current steps to achieving universal health coverage
Article indépendant
Eighty percent of Nepal’s population live in rural areas. These are often remote due to the mountainous terrain making access to healthcare a challenge.
Palliative care has been developing in Nepal since 2000. Palliative care education provided by various organisations and supported by the government is available for healthcare professionals. Morphine is also produced in Nepal in palliative care formulations. However, palliative care services are mainly based in the capital, Kathmandu, and other large towns, and most people still do not have access to morphine.
A recent needs assessment estimated that around 62,000 adults and children need palliative care each year. This figure is likely to grow as increasing numbers of people suffer from non-communicable diseases.
In 2017, Nepal adopted a national strategy for palliative care that takes a public health approach, with a vision for making palliative care available to all those who need it, including those living in remote rural areas. It recognises that for this to become a reality, palliative care needs to be seen as part of universal health coverage and generalists, including rural health post workers and GPs, who lead clinical services in district hospitals, need to be empowered to deliver it.
Voir la revue «EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE CARE, 25»
Autres numéros de la revue «EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE CARE»