STEPHEN LEWIS CALLS FOR ACTION
Participants at last week’s 20th International Congress of Palliative Care in Montreal were compelled to immediate action by Canadian visionary Stephen Lewis.
Mr. Lewis, well acquainted with global palliative needs, presented a passionate case for immediate advocacy for inclusion of palliative care into the United Nations’ international sustainable goals.
WHY NOW?
Why is it important to speak up for global palliative care, today?
First of all, the United Nations’ goals from the past 15 years have been realized in achievement and impact; if the United Nations makes a goal, it makes it happen.
Unfortunately, objectives for ensuring world-wide accessibility to appropriate palliative care have not been included in the UN’s 2015- 2030 goals. However, Stephen Lewis has not given up hope that these targets may still be included if we take action, today.
Responding to Mr. Lewis’s call for advocacy in palliative care, the “Montreal Declaration“ was created for submission to the United Nations.
THE MONTREAL DECLARATION
The final statement of the Montreal Declaration says,
“Recognising that hospice and palliative care is an essential component of national health systems, the undersigned, call for the inclusion of hospice and palliative care in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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Written by: Wendy Kurchak, Communications and Fund Development Coordinator, AHPCA
