15 Sep 2022
ESMO, together with other organisations, endorsed a joint statement on the ‘Implementation of the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region 2016–2025: Progress report’ at the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, 12-14 September 2022, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The statement:
- Welcomed the Action Plan’s inclusion of palliative care and its recognition of the need to continue to improve palliative care services, acknowledging they suffered major disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Appreciated WHO Europe’s support to Member States to improve palliative care services, as part of its ‘United Action Against Cancer’.
- Urged Member States to take action to:
- Improve palliative care for all people suffering from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through education of their health workforce in basic palliative care and the prescribing of internationally controlled medicines
- Improve access to medicines, which are included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, Section 2
- Procure the Essential Package of palliative care services and medicines for the treatment and care of persons with NCDs.
In conclusion, the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care and the endorsing organisations reaffirmed in the statement their commitment to partner with WHO Europe and its Member States to accelerate the uptake of basic health worker education, supply chain strengthening, regulatory strengthening to promote balanced policies, and access to affordable generics.