Sharjah: Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) in the UAE, has called for promoting awareness of children’s palliative care.
Her remarks came during her keynote address at Fourth Global Gathering Maruzza Congress on Paediatric Palliative Care in Rome recently where she participated as Guest of Honour.
World Health Organisation defines Palliative Care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification, assessment and treatment of pain.
At the event, Shaikha Jawaher lobbied global support for the development of palliative care services and sharing expertise, skills and knowledge between medical professionals and health experts to ensure the best quality of life for children with life-limiting diseases.
She added that without urgent and concerted action to make palliative care available for children, the suffering will continue.
“In every sense of its medical, psychological and social importance, palliative care is no longer a luxury, but an inherent human right for every child suffering from incurable and life-limiting illnesses. Palliative care should be considered a key component of the treatment of ill children throughout every stage of a disease throughout a child’s journey of medical treatment,” Shaikha Jawaher said.
The Maruzza Congress is an international platform that aims to share knowledge and experiences about paediatric palliative care and sheds light on ways to deal with children suffering from incurable diseases.
‘Trieste Charter’ in Arabic
Shaikha Jawaher announced that the FOCP has translated the 10 rights of the dying child specified by Maruzza Foundation’s ‘Trieste Charter’ into Arabic to safeguard the rights of terminally ill children during the end phase of their lives.
