Moderator Signs Palliative Care Commitment

Monday February 13 2017

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland last week signed, on behalf of the Church, a charter calling for all children worldwide to have access to palliative care if they need it.

The Rt Rev Dr Russell Barr was joined by other Scottish politicians and faith leaders at the event at the Scottish Parliament, which drew attention to the importance of palliative care; and highlighting the difficulty faced by over 20 million children worldwide affected by serious life-limiting illness who don’t have access to the appropriate healthcare.

The Religions of the World Charter for Children’s Palliative Care is an initiative of the Maruzza Foundation, an international organisation which promotes the importance of palliative care around the world. Signing the charter commits faith groups to:

• affirming that all children with serious illness should have guaranteed access to palliative care
• confirming that alleviating pain is a moral and religious obligation
• recommending to political leaders and policy makers that children's palliative care should be integrated into every national healthcare system
• strengthening the movement for the global availability of children's palliative care through the involvement and endorsements of all religious, faith, and community leaders.

The event was hosted by the Edinburgh-based charity EMMS International, which provides healthcare in some of the poorer countries of the world.

James Wells, the charity’s Chief Executive, said: "I'm delighted that EMMS International is able to host the signing of this hugely important Charter as part of our 175^th anniversary celebrations.  We believe passionately that fair and equal access to health and health care is a basic human right, regardless of wealth or where we live.  Sadly, for many of the people that we seek to support, such access is often a distant hope. 

“Children's palliative care is a critical part of any fair health system, and Scotland is blessed with some of the best care in the world. It's my prayer that by signing the Charter today, people of all faiths in Scotland will encourage others to respond, partnering with us and others to make children's palliative care a reality for children with life-limiting illnesses across the world."

Silvia Lefebvre D’Ovidio, Trustee of the Maruzza Foundation, was among the speakers at the event. She said: “I am very proud to be a voice speaking out for children’s’ palliative care today in Edinburgh and I am sure that the Scottish initiative will be another important step in raising awareness of this much neglected problem that affects nearly 21 million seriously ill children and their families worldwide.”

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