What do humanitarian emergency organizations do about palliative care? A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Humanitarian emergency organizations have only recently integrated care for non-communicable diseases into their relief action. The needs for palliative care in emergencies are still largely unmet. Objective: A systematic review of health programmes run by international humanitarian organizations that take palliative care and/or enhanced pain control into account. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for publications of health programmes providing palliative care and/or enhanced pain control in emergency situations. Health departments of major international organizations and experts were contacted for relevant information. Results: One publication on pain treatment in amputees in Freetown, Sierra Leone, fulfilled the selection criteria. International humanitarian organizations shared information on their programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kenya and Ukraine/Russia. Conclusions: There is very little information available on palliative care and/or enhanced pain control in emergency settings. First programmes have just been initiated in the field. More emphasis on sharing experiences and publication could accelerate a broader integration of palliative care into humanitarian programmes.

Keywords:

• Emergency
• humanitarian
• pain/drug therapy
• palliative care
• relief work

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the contact persons of the humanitarian organizations who provided the requested information. Dr Beat Stoll, University of Geneva, contributed valuable advice.