New research findings published today in The Lancet Global Health show that the number of people dying with palliative care needs is set to almost double over the next four decades. By 2060, an estimated 48 million people each year (47% of all deaths globally) will die with serious health-related suffering, an 87% increase compared to 2016. 83% of these people will be in low and middle-income countries.
Serious life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses place an enormous burden on society and health systems. For the first time, researchers from King’s College London have produced worldwide projections of the future need for palliative care based on serious health-related suffering, in order to help inform policies that alleviate suffering and prevent health systems weakening.
They modelled future estimates of suffering by World Bank income classification, WHO region, age, gender, and condition causing death.