An 87% increase in suffering related to serious diseases is expected by 2060, which urges a review of global policies for the promotion of palliative care. This is one of the main conclusions of a study led by the University of Glasgow in which researchers from the University of Navarra (ICS) have participated. Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra. 

From agreement with the work, the globaldevelopment of palliative care has progressed in the period 2006-2017. The issue of countries in which there is some subject of palliative service has grown from 105 in 2006 to 124 in 2011 to 138 in 2017; with respect to countries showing some evidence of integration into their healthcare system, the total has increased from 34 in 2006 to 42 in 211 to 51 in 2017.

However, researchers warn that more than half of the world's population lives in countries where the provision of this specialized care is either non-existent or insufficient to meet the real needs to alleviate suffering in advanced diseases and at the end of life.

The article, published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, reviewed the status in 198 nations. Only 30 have adequate levels of palliative care, integrated into the health and care system, or 14% of the world's population. These are mainly in Europe: 32 of its 56 states have the highest level of development which implies a greater involvement of their health systems in the provision of palliative care. 

"Within this advanced level, in which Spain is, the indicators of the study do not allow comparison between countries. However, another more detailed recent study, also by the University of Navarra, also limited to Europe, showed a stagnation in our country in terms of palliative care policies, Education and services. Spain would occupy a position below the average of the surrounding countries", assures Carlos Centeno, researcher main of the ATLANTES Program of the ICS and one of the authors of the research.

According to the Global Map, there are 47 countries with no palliative care provision (235 million people); 13 with the possibility of initiating activity (126 million people); 65 have some isolated initiative (3,597 million people); 22 offer generalized provision (426 million people); 121 have a preliminary state of integration into the health system (2,083 million people); and some 30 countries have a more advanced state of integration (1,074 million people).