Pain Control: Meeting the Professional Educational Needs in the Developing World

Abstract

Commission in the United States of America equate the right to be free of pain as a human right. The WHO defines palliative care as an approach that "improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with lifethreatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment, and treatment of pain and other problems -physical, psychosocial and spiritual." 2 As defined in the WHO training module, palliative care consists of the following: • Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms; • Affirms life and regards dying as a normal P Pa ai in n C Co on nt tr ro ol l: : M Me ee et ti in ng g t th he e P Pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l E Ed du uc ca at ti io on na al l N Ne ee ed ds s i in n t th he e D A Ab bs st tr ra ac ct t P Pa ai in n i is s c co on ns st ta an nt t w wi it th h s se er ri io ou us s i il ll ln ne es ss se es s. . W Wh hi il le e m ma an ny y s se er ri io ou us s i il ll ln ne es ss se es s a an nd d d di is s--e ea as se es s c ca an nn no ot t b be e c cu ur re ed d, , t th he e a as ss so oc ci ia at te ed d p pa ai in n a an nd d s sy ym mp pt to om ms s c ca an n b be e a al ll le ev vi ia at te ed d. . U Un nt tr re ea at te ed d a an nd d u un nd de er rt tr re ea at te ed d p pa ai in n i is s a a m ma aj jo or r h he ea al lt th hc ca ar re e p pr ro ob bl le em m w wo or rl ld dw wi id de e. . W Wh hi il le e t th he er re e a ar re e m ma an ny y r re ea as so on ns s f fo or r t th ha at t, , t th hi is s p pa ap pe er r a ad dd dr re es ss se es s t th he e l la ac ck k o of f h he ea al lt th h--c ca ar re e p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al ls s s sp pe ec ci if fi ic ca al ll ly y t tr ra ai in ne ed d i in n p pa ai in n c co on nt tr ro ol l a an nd d s sy ym mp pt to om m m ma an na ag ge e--m me en nt t. . I It t i is s p pr ro op po os se ed d t th ha at t a an n e ed du uc ca at ti io on na al l f fa ac ci il li it ty y b be e b bu ui il lt t i in n t th he e M Ma ad di in na ah h K Kn no ow wl le ed dg ge e E Ec co on no om mi ic c C Ci it ty y ( (M MK KE EC C) ). . I It t i is s e en nv vi is si io on ne ed d t th ha at t o on nc ce e s su uc ch h a a f fa ac ci il li it ty y i is s o op pe er ra at ti io on na al l, , i it t w wi il ll l a al ls so o s se er rv ve e a as s a a s sp pr ri in ng gb bo oa ar rd d t to o b br ri in ng g a ab bo ou ut t c cu ul lt tu ur ra al l c ch ha an ng ge e, , s so oc ci io op po ol li it ti ic ca al l c ch ha an ng ge e, , a an nd d c ch ha an ng ge e i in n t th he e g go ov ve er rn nm me en nt ta al l p po ol li ic ci ie es s i in n p pr ro oc cu ur re em me en nt t, , d di is st tr ri ib bu ut ti io on n, , l li ic ce en ns si in ng g, , a an nd d t tr ra ac ck ki in ng g o of f p pa ai in n m me ed di ic ca at ti io on ns s a as s w we el ll l a as s e ef ff fe ec ct ti iv ve e d de el li iv ve er ry y s sy ys st te em ms s. . S Su uc ch h a an n e ed du uc ca at ti io on na al l f fa ac ci il li it ty y i in n ...