In the Middle East, as in other countries in the developing world, there is now a wide acceptance that palliative care is an important public health issue that should be integrated into the mainstream of cancer care as well as other life-threatening diseases. Nowadays, it is recognized as a human right issue that patients and families have the right to receive this care. The WHO defined palliative care as the active total care of the patient's body, mind and spirit; whereby health care providers need to evaluate and alleviate the patient's physical, psychological and social distress. Such care encompasses a broad, multidisciplinary approach that includes both the family and the community and is provided in a range of settings, from the hospital, to the community health center, to home. This unique and timely book captures the progress and vision of many dedicated groups throughout the Middle East and the USA who have been working to advocate for and develop palliative care services in the region. Each of the book's chapters describes the efforts and challenges professionals have been experiencing as they address the palliative care needs of patients with life-limiting illnesses. Each country's specific chapter details the current state of palliative care services and describes the various approaches that led to the development of a range of services in hospital-based sites to community and home-based care services.
