Palliative care services for cancer patients in Nepal, a lower-middle-income country

Abstract

With the rise in cancer burden, need for palliative care services has increased simultaneously and majority of people requiring services are from low- and middle-income countries where palliative care is in primitive stage. Nepal is also facing similar challenges of dealing with cancer care and end-of-life care. From its initiation in the early 1990s, there has been gradual progress in the development of palliative care with joint effort of government as well as non-governmental organizations. Morphine, a major milestone for pain management, is being manufactured in the country for nearly a decade, yet morphine equivalence mg per capita is far below the global average. Currently, Nepal has been placed under ‘Category 3a’ with isolated care provision and there are a lot of challenges to overcome to improve the existing services. Majority of hospice and palliative care centres are located in the capital city and only a few in the periphery. Scarcity of treatment centres and expertise, limited finances, lack of awareness among patients and health care workers, and difficult terrain are major barriers for optimal care. Proper implementation of national guidelines, human resource development and integration of palliative care to primary healthcare level would be crucial steps for further improvement.