What is the value of palliative care provision in low-resource settings?

### Summary box Palliative care is the active improvement in quality of life and relief of suffering for patients with incurable disease.1 Despite being recognised as a human right by the WHO,1 the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2 and the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,3 ,4 there are significant disparities in the worldwide provision of palliative care services for individuals with life-limiting illnesses. Of the 40 million people globally in need of palliative care, just 14% receive it, most of whom are adults and children in high-income countries (HICs).5 ,6 For the millions of individuals who die without palliative care, largely in low-income countries, end of life is typically marked by pain and suffering. This is due in part to the unavailability of oral analgesia7–10 but also more generally, to the fragility of health systems in low-resource settings.11 Particular barriers …