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In Albania there is almost no funding for palliative care from the state health care system. The only contribution is the reimbursement of the cost for some drugs.

32.8% of the population lives under the poverty threshold ($5 a day) according to World Bank Statistics.

As of 2017, there were 12 providers offering palliative care in Albania. Geographically, coverage is about one third of the country and in terms of actual access this is less than 6%.

Palliative care has only just been recognised in Greece, but there is currently no governmental funding or support of any kind. It is rarely addressed in the country’s medical training for future doctors, nurses and health care professionals. This means that most terminally ill patients in Greece are left without the proper care and support they need at the end of life.

There are currently only three palliative care organisations in Greece, two of these are our partners; Merimna and Nosilia. The current capacity of these organisations covers less than 2% of the total need of the country, which is estimated at 135,000 adults and 3,300 children per year.

Both partners we support are based in Athens and provide their services free of charge. They rely solely on donations from individuals, companies and foundations.

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. The population in Moldova is around 3,500,000 people. Around 25,000 need hospice care each year but only 7-8% receive any form of support.

Other than in the capital, Chisinau, there is very little provision for hospice care. In rural areas there are some small organisations but these are usually staffed by doctors on a part time basis as they cannot give up their work for the state.

These organisations are struggling to survive and Hospice of Hope, Moldova is working with them to ensure that their work continues.

On particular problem in Moldova is migration. This means that many people who are suffering with illness have no family to care for them as many people of working age have left the country.

We estimate that every year more than 50% of adults and children diagnosed with cancer in Romania, will experience unrelieved pain.

According to a 2018 study, 19,400 children needing palliative care die each year in Romania, representing 14% of the EU paediatric population in need of palliative care. Infant mortality is the highest in the EU and health expenditure is one of the lowest.

Current provision of paediatric palliative care is minimal, and Hospice Casa Sperantei is currently the only organisation that offers paediatric home-care, respite services and family support programmes.

In 2019 only 1.5% of terminally ill patients received some sort of palliative care. Hospice Casa Sperantei cared for over a quarter of those patients.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Serbia. There are more than 30,000 new diagnoses a year and over 20,000 cancer related deaths every year.

According to some sources, Serbia has the highest cancer mortality rate in Europe and there are concerns that this may continue to accelerate – possibly as a legacy from the years of conflict.

We know that approximately one third of terminally ill cancer patients die in Serbian hospitals. Some of those facilities have good quality hospice care units but many do not. We believe the remaining two thirds (more than an estimated 13,000 a year) are simply sent home to die in pain.

Our partner, BELhospice, is the only organisation in Serbia dedicated to the provision of palliative care.

Palliative care in Ukraine is still relatively new and underdeveloped, with limited resources and a lack of trained professionals. The war has only exacerbated these challenges, with the destruction of healthcare facilities and infrastructure, as well as the displacement of healthcare workers. It has also resulted in significant psychological trauma for many
individuals, including those in need of palliative care. This can make it difficult for them to cope with their illness and the associated symptoms, such as pain and anxiety.

It is estimated that over 600,000 people in Ukraine require palliative care, facing the challenge of battling both the war and their debilitating illness to survive.