The Center published an editorial about opioid availability in Africa,18 but has not been directly involved in the region. However, the Center has provided information and consultation about opioid availability and policy to a number of health-care providers and regulators, including in Morocco, Nigeria, and Uganda. African countries are distinguished by having the least amount of opioids available in the world. The Center is concerned that efforts to develop palliative care in African countries must include realistic plans for making opioids available, necessitating dialogue with the national governments in each country.
Morocco
In August 2000, the Center was visited by Professor Mati Nejmi, chief
of the Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive care, Pain and Palliative Care at
the National Cancer Institute in Rabat, Morocco, and President of the Moroccan
Pain Society.
Discussions were initiated with the objective of enhancing the capacity of this regional leader to improve pain control and palliative care in Morocco with targeted policy and communications activities. Specific goals are to increase public health activities directed to pain and palliative care and to increase institutional staff expertise in pain control and palliative care. The Center suggested opening up a three-way dialogue between the institution, the national government and the representative of the WHO regional office in the country.