Eutanásia vs cuidados paliativos: uma distinção necessária

Euthanasia is not part of palliative care – declaration at the end of the ICPCN Conference

The ICPCN Conference, held in Mumbai, India, from 10 – 12 February has issued a declaration on children’s palliative care that calls for the Belgian government to reconsider their recent decision to allow euthanasia for children.

At the conclusion of the first ICPCN conference that took place in Mumbai, India a declaration, to be known as the ICPCN Mumbai Declaration 2014, was issued and signed by delegates. The declaration calls for all children with life-limiting conditions to have access to appropriate pain and symptom control and to high quality palliative care to meet their particular needs. It also calls on the government of Belgium to reconsider their recent legislation on euthanasia for children.
The declaration in full reads as follows:
We believe that all children (neonates, children and young people) have the right to the best quality of life. When they have life-limiting conditions they have the right to high quality Palliative care to meet their needs.
We believe that euthanasia is not part of children’s palliative care and is not an alternative to palliative care. It is imperative that we work together to improve access to children’s palliative care around the world, including ensuring access to appropriate pain and symptom control.
We call on all governments to transform children’s lives through the development of children’s palliative care, and in particular we urge the Belgian government to reconsider their recent decision to allow euthanasia of children.
This includes:

1. Access to children’s palliative care within the children’s health care system
2. Access to appropriate pain and symptom management (Including medications) for all children
3. Supporting children and their families to be able to live their lives to the best of their ability for as long as possible.

This declaration was signed by both individual delegates and organisations present at the conference.
Joan Marston, CEO of the ICPCN said about the declaration, “Euthanasia is not and has never been a part of palliative care and we believe the answer to a child’s suffering is more and better palliative care services and not the ending of a child’s life.”

Disponível em: http://www.icpcn.org/euthanasia-is-not-part-of-palliative-care-declaration-at-the-end-of-the-icpcn-conference/