The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance is leading the global day of action around World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on 14 October 2017 to raise awareness of palliative care as a crucial, defining part of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).  

The funds raised will be used to create materials for this and future World Hospice and Palliative Care Days, for publicity of the key messages and to ensure that our voice is heard worldwide. 

The World Hospice and Palliative Care Day campaign will share our vision to increase the availability of hospice and palliative care for the 40 million who need it annually throughout the world by creating opportunities to speak out about palliative care as part of UHC.  

Universal health Coverage means that all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need without being forced into financial hardship.  

What gets measured gets done. We need to measure palliative care as part of UHC.  

We will raise awareness and understanding of the needs – physical, psychological, social, practical, and spiritual – of people living with a life limiting illness and their families. 

The campaign will be an opportunity to raise funds to support and develop hospice and palliative care services around the world.  

This will help local, national and international hospice and palliative care providers and organisations to clearly position palliative care as part of UHC, and help to advocate for this with national policymakers, so that those suffering are not left behind.  

No one should face destitution and poverty when they get sick. Palliative care can reduce the financial burden driven by serious chronic and life-limiting illness.