Values in Care

    Audience view

    Policymaker & NGO

    Inspect evidence, equity, governance, and implementation boundaries for values-centered decision support across care settings.

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    A smaller set of paths for this role.

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    Coverage & EquityCoverage, equity, and evidence gaps across the public content surface.Evidence IndexEvery published claim, filterable and source-linked.Integrity ReportMachine-checked citation verification, with the run date disclosed.Institutional EvaluationA bounded way to inspect methods, workflow fit, governance, and measurement claims.

    Selected material

    Policy and NGO Engagement with Muslim Communities on Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care

    High-level considerations for health systems, NGOs, and policymakers designing palliative care and hospice outreach for Muslim communities.

    • Data from WHO and the Lancet Commission highlight large global gaps in palliative care access, especially in low- and middle-income settings where many Muslims live.
    • Faith-congruent messaging that clarifies permissibility of hospice, opioid use for pain, and organ donation can reduce mistrust and under-utilization among Muslim populations.
    • Partnerships with Islamic medical associations, fiqh councils, and local mosques can support culturally sensitive public education and advance care planning campaigns.
    • Training curricula for clinicians should incorporate evidence-based spiritual care competencies and specific modules on caring for Muslim patients at the end of life.
    • Advocacy for opioid availability must account for both regulatory barriers and culturally specific fears about intoxication and dependence; religious endorsements can support balanced policies.

    Global Need for Palliative Care and Serious Health-Related Suffering

    Key global indicators on unmet palliative care need and serious health-related suffering to support policy and advocacy.

    • WHO estimates that about 56.8 million people each year need palliative care, including 25.7 million in their last year of life, with most living in low- and middle-income countries.
    • Only around 14% of those who need palliative care currently receive it, highlighting major access gaps.
    • The Lancet Commission's serious health-related suffering (SHS) framework estimates more than 61 million people per year experience SHS that could be alleviated by palliative care and pain relief, with over 80% in low- and middle-income countries.
    • Updated SHS analyses show a substantial increase in global suffering between 1990 and 2021, with disproportionate growth in low- and middle-income countries.
    • NHPCO's Facts & Figures report details U.S. hospice utilization, showing that in 2022, 1.72 million Medicare beneficiaries used hospice and 49.1% of Medicare decedents received hospice services.

    Addressing Inequities in Access to Palliative and Hospice Care

    Evidence on inequities in palliative and hospice access and implications for community, NGO, and policy action.

    • WHO and Lancet data show that the majority of people needing palliative care and experiencing serious health-related suffering live in low- and middle-income countries with minimal access to services and essential opioids.
    • Within high-income countries, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, rural residents, and incarcerated populations face lower hospice utilization and more barriers to pain management and advance care planning.
    • NGOs and faith-based organizations can help close gaps through community assessments, targeted outreach, culturally tailored education, and advocacy for equitable reimbursement and opioid availability.

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