Addressing the Global Tragedy of Needless Pain: Rethinking the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

Taylor, Allyn L.

doi:10.1111/j.1748-720x.2007.00180.x

Cited by 40 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…[13] This is true for both the developed and the developing world. Pain is therefore a global health problem, one that significantly affects both the global North and the global South.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain as a global public health priority

2011

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BackgroundPain is an enormous problem globally. Estimates suggest that 20% of adults suffer from pain globally and 10% are newly diagnosed with chronic pain each year. Nevertheless, the problem of pain has primarily been regarded as a medical problem, and has been little addressed by the field of public health.DiscussionDespite the ubiquity of pain, whether acute, chronic or intermittent, public health scholars and practitioners have not addressed this issue as a public health problem. The importance of viewing pain through a public health lens allows one to understand pain as a multifaceted, interdisciplinary problem for which many of the causes are the social determinants of health. Addressing pain as a global public health issue will also aid in priority setting and formulating public health policy to address this problem, which, like most other chronic non-communicable diseases, is growing both in absolute numbers and in its inequitable distribution across the globe.SummaryThe prevalence, incidence, and vast social and health consequences of global pain requires that the public health community give due attention to this issue. Doing so will mean that health care providers and public health professionals will have a more comprehensive understanding of pain and the appropriate public health and social policy responses to this problem.

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“…[13] This is true for both the developed and the developing world. Pain is therefore a global health problem, one that significantly affects both the global North and the global South.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain as a global public health priority

2011

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“…81 By contrast, strong opioids are unavailable in more than 150 countries, 82 and, when they are available, they often cost more in low-and middle-income countries. 8,83 An estimated 5.5…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Without access to adequate pain management, 600 million people alive today are likely to experience negative health effects caused by untreated pain. 8 Canada and the United…”

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confidence: 99%

Determinants of Increased Opioid-Related Mortality in the United States and Canada, 1990–2013: A Systematic Review

et al. 2014

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We review evidence of determinants contributing to increased opioid-related mortality in the United States and Canada between 1990 and 2013. We identified 17 determinants of opioid-related mortality and mortality increases that we classified into 3 categories: prescriber behavior, user behavior and characteristics, and environmental and systemic determinants. These determinants operate independently but interact in complex ways that vary according to geography and population, making generalization from single studies inadvisable. Researchers in this area face significant methodological difficulties; most of the studies in our review were ecological or observational and lacked control groups or adjustment for confounding factors; thus, causal inferences are difficult. Preventing additional opioid-related mortality will likely require interventions that address multiple determinants and are tailored to specific locations and populations.

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“…It varies in its presentation and underlying cause and does not respond consistently to treatment [4][5][6][7][8]. The effects of unmanaged pain on quality of life and healthcare costs can be devastating and yet pain is widely under-treated [9][10][11][12]. Factors cited in the undertreatment of pain include inadequate training of healthcare professionals in assessment skills, inadequate knowledge about the use of medications for chronic pain, concerns about causing addiction or tolerance and contributing to diversion, fear of scrutiny by regulatory agencies, and patient reluctance to report pain or take medications [11,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%