Palliative Justice Post-COP27.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Environmental Health
• Social Justice

Background:

• The climate crisis poses an existential threat, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Individuals with serious illness in LMICs bear a significant burden of serious health-related suffering (SHS), with an estimated 88-90% of palliative care needs unmet.
• Current climate change recommendations, like those from COP27, inadequately address the intersection of social and climate injustice and resulting suffering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for a palliative justice approach to equitably address suffering at individual, population, and planetary levels in LMICs.
• To highlight the critical unmet need for palliative care services in LMICs.
• To propose integrating planetary health considerations into palliative care and vice versa.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis integrating principles of palliative care, climate justice, and planetary health.
• Review of existing literature on health-related suffering, palliative care access, and climate change impacts in LMICs.
• Synthesis of recommendations for policy and research initiatives.

Main Results:

• Over 61 million people globally experience serious health-related suffering annually, with the majority residing in LMICs.
• The current palliative care gap in LMICs is substantial, hindering efforts to alleviate suffering.
• A holistic approach is needed, recognizing the interconnectedness of human suffering and planetary health.

Conclusions:

• A palliative justice framework is essential to address the compounded suffering arising from climate injustice and serious illness in LMICs.
• Integrating planetary health into palliative care ensures sustainable service delivery and capacity building.
• Achieving optimal planetary health requires acknowledging and relieving all forms of suffering, including that related to life-limiting conditions and environmental degradation.