Palliative Care as an International Human Right

Abstract

There are major disparities in the provision of palliative care around the world. In recent years, a statement of advocacy and objective has been repeatedly articulated that the provision of palliative care is a human right. This article examines the foundation for this assertion in the context of international human rights law. The strengths and weaknesses of this assertion are examined. The nature of both the right and, correlatively, the obligation on individual governments is discussed.

Long-term tolerability, efficacy and acceptability of fentanyl pectin nasal spray for breakthrough cancer pain

“…Adequate relief of pain has been advocated as a patient right [2,4], and it is now well recognised that treatment should be adapted to the individual needs of the patient [1].…”

“…[10]) or were newly enrolled. For newly enrolled patients, the main study consisted of four phases: (1) screening; (2) open dose-titration phase during which the same titration approach used in the controlled trials was applied-patients were initially treated with the lowest FPNS dose (100 μg) and gradually uptitrated, one dose of FPNS per episode of pain, to a maximum of 800 μg per dose until two consecutive treated episodes of BTCP were successfully treated with the same dose without unacceptable adverse events (AEs); (3) 16-week, open-label treatment phase; and (4) end-of-treatment phase. For patients previously enrolled in study CP043 or CP044, the main study consisted of a 16-week, open-label treatment phase and a discretionary endof-treatment phase (1-14 days after the last dose).…”

Anthropo-Social Palliative Care to Dying Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Case Study of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK): 2015-2017

“…Some are lucky to manage while others give up along the way when resources can no longer permit. So desperate family members literally abandon their loved ones in hospitals with hope that the hospital would offer help to people living with chronic cancer, diabetes, HIV, kidney diseases and other related ailments on top of the physical pain they suffer from psychological pain that requires social work intervention, mainly counseling 4 .…”

Palliative Care in Brazil: With a View to Future Needs?

“…[12] Palliative care has been considered, by the World Health Organization (WHO), as "an urgent humanitarian need worldwide for people who have serious illnesses such as cancer and other incurable diseases". [13][14][15][16] The 67 th World Health Assembly Resolution of May 2014 recommended integrate palliative care in all healthcare settings for all member countries. [17] However, demographic changes associated with fast ageing population, longer chronic disease trajectories, and greater co-morbidities require further incentives to improve and expand palliative care provision.…”