6.1.1 Why is palliative care an essential part of comprehensive TB care?

WHO’s End TB Strategy has a vision of zero suffering (13). Based on this vision alone, palliative care is an essential part of comprehensive care for people with TB (13, 91, 94, 97). In addition, World Health Assembly Resolution WHA67.19 from 2014 and the WHO Ethics Guidance for the implementation of the End TB Strategy state that palliative care is “an ethical responsibility of health systems and that it is the ethical duty of health-care professionals to alleviate pain and suffering, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual, irrespective of whether the disease or condition can be cured.” (16). They also state explicitly that palliative care is a core component of the human right to health, and of comprehensive care for people with DR-TB (16, 94). Palliative care not only can alleviate the suffering of patients with TB but also may improve treatment outcomes and protect the community by helping patients adhere fully to treatment (91, 92).

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