Status of palliative care in Latin America

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Several studies have been published reporting the status of palliative care in different countries of Latin America, but no studies have been published on the status of the discipline across the whole region. This article provides a summary of the current situation as reported in the Atlas of Palliative Care recently completed by the Latin American Association for Palliative Care. The aim of this project was to collect information on the degree of palliative care development, help create a network, and influence the progress of palliative care across Latin America. RECENT FINDINGS: The Atlas provides an overview of the status of palliative care in Latin America according to the World Health Organization public health strategy for palliative care: policies, drug availability, education, and implementation of services. The results indicate that there is significant variation among countries in the region and that strategies to support and develop palliative care require tailored approaches to meet the needs of each. SUMMARY: The information in this review gives a broad notion of the current status of palliative care in Latin America. The Atlas is expected to help the progress of palliative care and serve as a driver of the field in Latin America and other regions.