Millions of people throughout the world die suffering from serious and distressing untreated symptoms. These numbers are predicted to increase over the coming decades with people from low and middle-income countries disproportionately affected.
Palliative care is an approach to alleviate suffering towards the end of life. It has been shown to improve quality of life and reduce distressing symptoms and is affordable to deliver. However, global access to palliative care is inequitable, with many living in low and middle-income countries frequently having little or no access to pain relief.
We urgently need global leaders with skills to mobilise policy change and investment, and to lead national palliative care programmes. To achieve this, we need world-class accessible postgraduate education to equip future global leaders with these skills.