A study by the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) and Lancaster University finds that, out of the world's 234 countries, only 136 (58 per cent) have one or more hospice or palliative care services available to seriously ill people and their families and carers.

The report raises fresh concerns that worldwide too many communities are living and dying without adequate care, support and pain relief.

The mapping study, done in association with the International Observatory on End of Life Care at Lancaster University in the UK, was last carried out five years ago. The report does show that some progress has been made since then, particularly in the development of services in Africa.

However, with an ageing population and global concern about the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the WPCA is today calling for palliative care to be accessible to everyone facing a serious life-threatening illness, including the growing number of people living with NCDs.

Globally, an estimated 100 million patients and family caregivers would benefit from hospice and palliative care, but as today's report shows, only fraction currently have access to it. Hospice and palliative care improves quality of life by providing physical, emotional, social and spiritual support for people affected by life-limiting conditions throughout the course of their illness.