Denied the right to comfort: Racial inequities in palliative care provision

People who are racialized often exist in the margins of our health systems. Inequitable health care is experienced from the moment of birth and continues throughout life, extending into end of life and palliative care. This occurs even though the United Nations acknowledges palliative care as a human right [1], and the World Health Organization (WHO) mandates that all states provide it [2]. As we strive for health systems where all people are treated equitably, palliative care must be included. To begin, it is important to collate what is known, and then to chart a way forward. This piece will focus on palliative care in the US and Canada but similar concepts may apply more broadly.