Experts canvass support for people living with life-threatening diseases

Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Nigeria (HPCAN) has decried the unavailability of oral morphine and other opioid analgesic, the mainstay drug for pain control in people living with life-limiting or life- threatening illnesses conditions such as cancer, kidney failure, AIDS and heart failure.HPCAN stating that oral morphine and other opioid analgesic were not readily available in the country said the availability and accessibility of oral morphine and other opioid analgesic was of importance in improving quality of life of people with life-limiting or life- threatening illnesses.The association in a release in commemoration of the World Palliative Day, which was signed by its President, Dr Adeniyi Adenipekun, urged individuals and organisations to lend their voices to the cry of millions who live daily with the burden of these debilitating illnesses for Hospice and Palliative Care.Dr Adenipekun who remarked that in 2007 alone, there were 7.6 million new cases of cancer, six million deaths from cancer and 22.5 million people living with HIV and AIDS'' all in sub-Saharan Africa alone''' stated that with palliative care majority of them would have lived their lives fully during their illness or died a pain-free, dignified death if they had accessed palliative care services.He stated: 'Unfortunately, these diseases are associated with so much pain and debility and they put so much strain on both patients and their relatives. What palliative care aims to do is to relieve as much pain and stress as possible, both for the patients and their loved ones, whether or not there is hope for a cure by other means.'Dr Adenipekun stated that globally, increasing cases of non-communicable diseases, especially in low and middle income countries by 17 per cent in the next 10 years, would further necessitate more people requiring to access palliative care services.HPCAN's president, pledging the body's support to the Federal Government in ensuring effective distribution of oral morphine and other opioid analgesic to the end users, stated that palliative care was a bonafide field in medicine and as such it should be included in the curricula of most health training institutions in the country.
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