As we have discussed previously on HIFA, a paradox of modern times is that more than 2 million people in the USA are addicted to opiates, whereas millions of people in LMICs endure appalling pain from cancer and other diseases because they do not have access to opioids.
This paper emphasises the importance of health worker education:
'Bilateral technical assistance should include Afrocentric palliative care education for all the major language groups, with professional translation and interpretation services for regulatory and clinical workforces...
'The essential package presented in the Report (consisting of palliative care medicines, basic equipment, and human resources) shows that improving availability where consumption is limited is an affordable and attainable goal with appropriate policy frameworks, regulatory and health system strengthening, workforce education, and availability of affordable generics, such as oral morphine.'
Analysis of opioid analgesic consumption in Africa
Lancet Global Health 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00218-3
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
