Worldwide, 52 million people die each year with approximately one out of ten deaths being due to cancer. However, each day, millions more people suffer from other life-threatening illnesses such as Aids.
Sadly, in much of the resource-poor - where need is often the greatest - there exist the biggest barriers to caring for the dying. These include:
- non-availability of vital medicines
- no opportunities for training or support
- lack of financial resources to develop services and train health-care workers
- long-standing conflict and natural disasters
Despite such obstacles the principles of hospice and palliative care are developing around the world. It is now estimated that hospice/palliative care initiatives exists, or are under development in around one hundred countries.
Help the Hospices Response
The international programme of Help the Hospices aims to support the development of hospice and palliative care worldwide, particularly in resource-poor countries. This is achieved through the support of networks of international collaboration in the UK and around the world, worldwide grants, advocacy, funding, workshops, information, reports and publications.
"Suffering at the End of Life - The State of
the World Report"
Help the Hospices, in partnership with hospice and palliative care associations around the world, has produced a report on the current situation of hospice and palliative care globally. This report describes the principles of hospice and palliative care and highlights the current issues facing its delivery through facts and figures, case studies and photographs. The report also gives recommendations on what needs to be done to further develop and improve hospice and palliative care service delivery throughout the world, and can be used as a tool for advocacy purposes.
You can download a copy for free or contact info@helpthehospices.org.uk for a printed copy at a cost of £10, inc. P&P.
Hospice Information
Hospice Information, our joint venture with St Christopher’s Hospice, helps people across the world to access the tools and training that enable them to develop their services and practice.
Hospice Information delivers a high-quality sign-posting service for health professionals and members of the public based on the principle of sharing information and experience that may be adapted to local needs and settings.
Through our magazine Hospice Information Bulletin, membership service and our electronic news resources, including the internationally focused, Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Online, we are in contact with around 6,000 people in over 100 countries of the world.
Our international directory can help you to identify hospice and palliative care services across the globe whilst our Links and Resources area (currently under construction) offers a range of organisations that will help you to develop international links, set up a Hospice Twinning Link or explore the idea of a volunteer assignment abroad.
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