Earmark a fixed share of every national cancer budget for palliative care
Most of the money in cancer goes to treatments that help a few people for a short time, while pain relief for the dying, which is cheap and works, gets almost nothing. Ring-fencing a small fixed share would change that.
Palliative care receives a tiny fraction of cancer spending in most countries despite reaching more patients per dollar than most therapies. A policy earmarking a minimum share (for example, 5%) of national cancer control budgets for palliative care, including morphine supply, workforce training, and community services, would guarantee a floor. Earmarking has drawbacks but is a proven way to protect neglected functions.
- Pain relief and palliative care are unavailable to most · Most people who die of cancer worldwide do so without adequate pain relief.
- Funding follows fashion, not burden · Money goes to the cancers and questions that are easy or popular, not the ones that kill most or where a dollar would do most.
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not linked directly; found by shared links- IdeaPut the essential palliative care package into every universal health coverage benefit list
Shares Pain relief and palliative care are unavailable to most, Funding follows fashion, not burden.
- PersonRandy Pausch
Shares Pain relief and palliative care are unavailable to most, Funding follows fashion, not burden.
- CollectionGLOBOCAN / Global Cancer Observatory
Shares Pain relief and palliative care are unavailable to most, Funding follows fashion, not burden.