In December 2021, the World Health Assembly established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and negotiate a Pandemic Accord or Treaty to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR). This is a global and united opportunity to proactively plan and resource palliative care services before (rather than in response to) the next pandemic or health emergency.
Sadly, the latest version of this instrument, the Zero Draft (March 2023), makes no reference to palliative care at all although it appears this is not an isolated occurrence, as noted by the recently-published report in COVID-19 from the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hospice and End of Life Care.
This is despite CovPall, a large, multinational survey, demonstrating a surge in demand for palliative care services in hospital and community settings globally.
Death dominated the news throughout the pandemic but the significant impact of COVID-19 on palliative and end of life care has gone largely unnoticed.
The Lasting Impact of COVID-19 on Death, Dying and Bereavement, 2023
This week I delivered a statement to the fourth session of the INB on behalf of the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, the Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance, International Children’s Palliative Care Network and Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies (see video below).
Watch out for blog posts from me about palliative care in pandemic PPR, read more about our work to include palliative care in the Pandemic Accord/ Treaty and add your endorsement to our advocacy note.