The World Health Organisation will on Monday co-sponsor a global day campaign which urges the need for pain relief to be viewed as a human right and asks people to recognise pain as a pressing problem and act now to alleviate suffering, a press release said on Sunday.
The WHO is co-sponsoring a global day Against Pain, organised by the international Association on the study of pain (IASP) and the European Federation of the IASP Chapters (EFIC).
The press release said that that the key representatives from WHO will join the world's most eminent specialists in chronic pain management and pain relief at a specially convened conference in Geneva to highlight the Global Day Against Pain and press for argent action from governmental bodies across the world.
The experts are gathering on Monday against the backdrop of new statistics released by IASP and EFIC revealing that one out of five people suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain and that one in three people with pain are less able or unable to maintain an independent lifestyle due to their pain.
Between a half and two thirds people with chronic pain are less able or unable to exercise, enjoy normal sleep, perform household chores, attend social activities, drive a car, walk or have sexual relations.
The effect of pain on these people's lives means that one in four report that relationships with family and friends are strained or broken.
The statistics also reveals that pain is second only to fever as the most common symptoms in ambulatory persons with HIV/AIDS pain in HIV/AIDS usually involves several sources at once.
Professor Sir Michael Bond, President of ISP said, "Pain relief should be a human right whether people are suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS or any other painful condition. Today's Global Day Against Pain marks an immense growth in the interest in this area and today's WHO co-sponsorship of our campaign shows that now is the time to take pain seriously."-PR