Developing Palliative Care Globally: Facing the Challenge

While at the 20th International Congress on Palliative Care in Montreal, Canada last September, it became apparent to all delegates that palliative care and its important role in caring for people with life-limiting and threatening conditions was not recognised globally. On close scrutiny of the United Nations (UN) Millennium Sustainable Development Goals for 2015-2030, it became clear that palliative care was an obvious omission. This seemed odd considering that HIV/ AIDS, sexual abuse, child mortality, and poverty (to name just a few) all featured prominently in the goals. The other oddity was that the UK, well known as the birthplace of modern palliative care, was one of three countries charged or tasked by the UN to spearhead the nature and scope of the millennium goals