Necessity of Palliative and Hospice Care Facilities in Bangladesh

World Health Organization (WHO) estimated most deaths across Bangladesh are caused by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) namely heart attacks, strokes, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, and cancers. The number of cancer cases are increasing in a tremendous speed across world so as in Bangladesh. In 2022 WHO estimated 167,256 new cancer cases had registered among which 94,922 were male and 72,334 were female patients and by the end of 2050 it may go double. According WHO cancer killed 116,598 patients in 2022. Unfortunately, most patients are not receiving proper treatment due to inaccessibility at treatment centres. In Bangladesh it is estimated approximately 700,000 people including 40,000 children needs palliative care but undesirably only 0.001% is receiving. All such data and alarming news clearly state that Bangladesh neither have adequate cancer treatment facilities nor proper arrange for care and assistance. Both government and private initiatives are working in establishing all necessary infrastructure and ensuring proper care for the people with serious illness. Undeniable fact is that setting up of cancer treatment centres in across country requires a good amount of time, resource, and money. Therefore, to provide care and assistance to the people who are fighting with cancer and various life ending diseases it is mandatory to establish palliative and hospice care facilities to minimize suffering of critically ill patients. Therefore, above data, news and discussion clearly shows the inevitability of palliative care facilities and the necessity of setting adequate amount of palliative and hospice care facilities in Bangladesh.