“We know that, in 2016, there were 26 million people in need of palliative care worldwide. In 2060 it will be almost double.” This is said by the researcher from the UC Faculty of Medicine (FMUC), Bárbara Gomes. But there is more. “Globally, it is estimated that only 12% of people with palliative needs receive this type of care,” she adds. The data was presented during the launch of the Floriani Chair in Palliative Care, which took place at FMUC this Friday, the 22nd.
Bárbara Gomes, who is also a researcher at the Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology and coordinator of the chair, explains the work that will be developed in the coming years. Between 2024 and 2027, activities will be carried out focusing on “training, research and public awareness in four areas that we identify as priorities for palliative care” and which include connection to primary health care, pediatrics, oncology and family support.
The chair will be financed with 55 thousand euros by the Floriani Foundation, an Italian institution that has been dedicated to improving care and assistance for people with terminal illnesses for over 40 years.
The President of the Floriani Foundation, Paolo Floriani, recently came to live in Lisbon and decided that it would be pertinent to “expand the foundation’s activity in Portugal”. The process was quick. “We met Bárbara Gomes, we had very fruitful discussions and we moved quickly towards this project”, summarizes Paolo Floriani.
Tags: FMUC launches chair palliative care
