World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, is being commemorated on Oct. 9 this year to highlight the need for global palliative care that helps to improve the quality of life for people affected by serious health problems.

According to statistics from WHO, every year around 40 million people need palliative care out of which 78% live in low and middle-income countries. It is also estimated that only about 14% of people who need palliative care receive it.

This year's theme for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day -- "Leave no one behind – equity in access to palliative care" aims to raise awareness about how vital and accessible palliative care should be to everyone irrespective of their age, background and location.

"As the world is still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, where palliative care has become even more vital, we will ask policymakers to ensure an essential package of palliative care services is tailored to individual needs," World Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance said in a news release.

The agency said the celebration of the day should shed light on the importance of including palliative care within countries’ plans and budgets.

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Here are some quotes about end-of-life care that will help you understand its significance. (Courtesy: Easy Living, Good Reads).

  1. "You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully but also to live until you die." - Cicely Saunders
  2. “Endings matter, not just for the person but, perhaps even more, for the ones left behind.” - Atul Gawande
  3. "At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent." - Barbara Bush
  4. "In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln
  5. "The end of life deserves as much beauty, care and respect as the beginning." - Anonymous
  6. "Having the choice at the end of my life has become incredibly important. It has given me a sense of peace during a time that otherwise would be dominated by fear, uncertainty and pain." - Brittany Maynard
  7. “People struggle to see it's not about whether she's going to die - palliative care isn't just a place you go to slowly slip away. More people live and leave than die on our wards. It is about being comfortable for the duration of something necessary and painful. Making bad times easier.” - Beth O'Leary
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