The Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life- advice for advocates

24 January 2014

 

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Ahead of the launch of the WHO-WPCA publication: The Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life, Sharon Baxter, chair of the Advocacy working group of the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance and Executive Director of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, writes for ehospice about how to use this important report for palliative care advocacy.

Steps to good advocacy

1. Define your goals.  What needs changing?
2. Know your audience – different strategies for each target (i.e. Minister of Health, the media)
3. Craft your message – be clear and concise
4. Identify the messenger – the best person or vehicle based on who the target is
5. Identify delivery methods – it’s about relationships
6. Identify resources and gaps – look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
7. Plan next steps
8. Evaluate effectiveness – review, revise and try again.

The Atlas will be a great advocacy tool. It will position your country in relation to others in the world as to the level of access to and availability of palliative care services. It provides information around hospice and palliative care by diagnoses. The Atlas demonstrates the World Health Organization’s recognition of and commitment to palliative care. The information contained in the Atlas is essential to know whether your country is well served or under-served with regard to palliative care resources.

Who could use the Atlas?

Global Level

• World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board members in informing their decisions on palliative care. A report from the WHO to the Executive Board, which was key in drafting the recently adopted resolution: ‘Strengthening of palliative care as a component of integrated treatment within the continuum of care’, mainly uses information from the Atlas.
• Bilateral/multilateral agencies including USAID, DFID, Global Fund, the World Bank

Country Level

• Countries at the World Health Assembly to be held in May this year
• National level hospice palliative care associations and champions
• Champions in lower-income countries
• Major foundations

Local and individuals

• Local hospice palliative care providers
• Educators in health care, including deans of medical schools and nursing departments. 

How can you, as palliative care advocates, use this information?

• When visiting government officials to make the case for hospice and palliative care programs and services
• When advocating for expansion of programs and services
• To bring attention and understanding to the work that you do in hospice and palliative care
• To justify grants and applications specific to hospice and palliative care
• To support the instituting of palliative care as a specialization in higher education institutions
• To help you in developing your key messages.

So if you are a health care planner, hospice palliative care professional or volunteer, government official in charge of health, or involved in an NGO or group that advocates for health care for specific groups, including breast health, cancer as well as HIV, TB and children's palliative care, look out for the release of the Global Atlas, and be sure to use this important document to advocate for palliative care, wherever you are.