Palliative care has been neglected during humanitarian crises as the imperative to save lives has often meant that the suffering of those who cannot be cured is forgotten. Palliative care can control symptoms and alleviate suffering for a wide range of people who are sick or injured in a humanitarian crisis. To date, very few programs provide palliative care in humanitarian crisis situations. An emphasis on quantifiable outcomes and lack of standards or expertise are barriers to providing palliative care in these contexts. Our team identified a significant need for palliative care among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with many people suffering from pain and other symptoms, and unable to access the care they needed. We have developed a community-based program, where community health workers provide home care, with the support of health care professionals, to ensure that people with serious illnesses receive support for their physical symptoms, including pain relief, as well as psychosocial and spiritual support. © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS

Palliative care Relief work End-of-life Pediatrics Humanitarian aid

human pain social exclusion Bangladesh pediatrics refugee palliative therapy Article community program health care need Humanities health care access