World Palliative Care Day – 'No one should suffer in silence'translated

World Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) has for 21 years been an annual global day of action to support Palliative Care services and Hospices. The theme chosen for 2026 is "Pain Management: An Essential Part of Palliative Care".

On Saturday 10 October thousands of people around the world will come together to talk openly about pain, the experience of suffering and living with a life-threatening illness.

Palliative Care has as its central concern the improvement of quality of life and dignity. A person in need of Palliative Care should have access to the services and medications they need, including opioid pain relievers such as morphine. The medicine is safe, effective and included in the list of essential medicines of the World Health Organization.

Pain relief is not a luxury; it is the most fundamental goal of care. It is estimated that over 70 million people require Palliative Care each year, while only about 14% of this need…