Children's palliative care and public health: position statement

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Palliative Care
• Global Health

Background:

• A public health approach has been established in adult palliative care.
• The application of this model to children's palliative care requires deeper articulation.
• Global initiatives and models, including the WHO conceptual model, guide children's palliative care development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To articulate the application of a public health approach to children's palliative care.
• To explore global perspectives on the intersection of public health and children's palliative care.
• To propose a framework for transforming children's palliative care through a public health lens.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of differing perspectives on public health and children's palliative care across global regions.
• International collaboration involving colleagues from seven countries.
• Development of eight statements reflecting a consensus on the children's palliative public health approach.

Main Results:

• Identified diverse regional perspectives on integrating public health principles into children's palliative care.
• Established a collaborative understanding of the children's palliative public health approach.
• Highlighted the necessity of balancing professional medical/nursing care with community co-production and participation.

Conclusions:

• A public health approach to children's palliative care is a radical and transformational strategy.
• This approach centers the child, their childhood, and their carers within the community context.
• Implementing this model necessitates changes in service provision to improve the lives of children with palliative care needs globally.