Palliative Care
The Open Society Foundations work to improve quality of life for patients with chronic and life-limiting illnesses, through the provision of pain relief, and by addressing the psychosocial, legal, and spiritual challenges they and their families face.
Voices
The Start of a New Movement: Access to Justice for Palliative Care Patients
Legal services can play a critical role in improving the quality of life for patients and families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. Integrated services take the law out of the courtroom and into the community.
Voices
A Champion for the Sick and Dying in India
Dr. Muttacaud Rajagopal’s work is motivated by the conviction that no human being, no matter how sick or poor, should suffer from pain in cruel, inhuman, and degrading conditions.
Voices
Guatemala’s First Prescription for Oral Morphine
A 72-year-old woman with cancer is the first person ever in Guatemala to receive a prescription for oral morphine. This development is possible thanks to the efforts of palliative care champions like Dr. Eva Duarte.
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Spreading the Word Online for Palliative Care in Kenya
Julia Strong, a Volunteer Resource Mobilizer with the Kenya Hospice and Palliative Care Association, shares some recent lessons learned about online communication.
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Cancer Control and Palliative Care in Kenya
Kenya has launched its first National Cancer Control Strategy with hopes that it will reduce the incidence of cancer within the country and provide quality services and care for cancer patients and their families.
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How Human Rights Violations Undermine Medical Professionalism
The complicity of medical professionals in the abuse and torture of prisoners has been well documented. What is less recognized, though, is how state-sponsored violations of human rights can undermine medical professionalism in day-to-day clinical...
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For the Terminally Ill, Freedom from Pain Is a Human Right
Palliative care has made impressive strides in the medical community. But now we must ensure that governments see palliative care, particularly the relief of suffering, as a basic human right for all people.
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Uniting Lawyers with Hospices in Georgia
Palliative care helps patients and their families relieve pain and suffering, but their needs are not only physical. In Georgia, law firms are working with hospices to address related legal and human rights issues as well.