Advancing palliative care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

26 October 2025, Cairo, Egypt ­- Following the presentation of a comprehensive technical paper on palliative care during the Seventy-second session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, Member States endorsed resolution EM/RC72/R.4, signaling a transformative shift in how the Region supports individuals facing life-limiting illness, frailty and chronic conditions.

The endorsement followed a presentation by Regional Advisor for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention Dr Lamia Mahmoud which highlighted how 2.4 million people across the Region require palliative care each year but less than 1% receive it. The gap is driven by humanitarian crises, limited access to essential medications and the perception of palliative care as exclusively end-of-life care.

The proposed resolution showcased the moral, scientific and economic imperatives behind expanding the provision of palliative care. It urged Member States to:

integrate palliative care into national health strategies and benefit packages;

ensure access to essential medications, including oral opioids;

mandate basic education in palliative care for all health professionals;

recognize advanced training and specialty expertise;

prioritize home-based care and community engagement; and

establish monitoring frameworks using key performance indicators (KPIs) and research.

Palliative care alleviates suffering, improves outcomes of curative treatments and enhances patient and family satisfaction. Early integration of palliative care will equip health workers with essential communication skills, symptom management capabilities and a more patient-centered mindset, fostering teamwork, justice, equity and patient-autonomy, values that should underpin every health system.

Palliative care cannot thrive in the absence of a whole system approach. It must be embedded across all levels, from tertiary hospitals to primary health clinics and homes. Continuity of care must be guaranteed, misconceptions addressed, and families empowered and supported as they care for loved ones. Staff must be fully aware of the benefits of palliative care and refer patients when they need the service, not as a last resort when all other treatments have been exhausted.

Studies show that the early integration of palliative care has the potential to reduce health care expenses by up to 30%.

A Regional commitment

The resolution followed extensive consultation with the Region's 22 Member States and incorporated feedback across 6 domains: governance, service delivery, community engagement, medicines, education and monitoring. It builds on the foundations laid by WHA Resolution 67.19 (2014) and by more recent publications, including the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal ( EMHJ) special issue (2022) and the WISH Report (2024).

Ministers of health and country representatives from across the Region endorsed the technical paper. Showcasing national efforts to integrate palliative care into health systems:

Jordan emphasized crisis resilience, especially for refugees;

UAE framed palliative care as a right and plans expansion into primary care;

Iraq is shifting from cure to care, enhancing training and access;

Kuwait highlighted its paediatric home-based palliative care programme and called for regional collaboration;

Egypt urged coordinated action, sustainable financing and compassionate communities;

Pakistan acknowledged systemic challenges but included palliative care in its national health plan;

Oman stressed legislative reforms and WHO support; and

Bahrain, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Morocco and Saudi Arabia shared progress on frameworks, digitalization, telemedicine and integrated care systems.

Sudan backed practical implementation despite competing priorities; Lebanon proposed broader terminology and stronger home care; the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) called for mandatory palliative care education and collaboration; the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) emphasized integration into primary care and humanitarian responses; the Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) promoted community-based models and the NCD Alliance urged monitoring for equitable access. Russia shared its national palliative care law and training system experiences while the Eastern Mediterranean Youth Council stressed mental health, bereavement support and youth capacity-building.

Collectively, these reflections signaled the strength of the regional commitment to embed palliative care as a cornerstone of dignified, equitable health care.

"Palliative care is not a challenge, it's a solution. Let's ensure that those who need palliative care in this Region receive the care they need," said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy.

"The WHO Regional Office stands ready to support Member States in building capacity, reforming regulations and ensuring that no patient suffers needlessly. The time to act is now."