Vietnam’s War on Pain

In many of the world’s poorest countries, palliative care — relieving pain and other symptoms of patients with life-threatening illnesses and providing psycho-social supports to patients and their families — is a luxury enjoyed only by the most elite. But in Vietnam, a new model for palliative care for the poor is emerging that promotes access to treatment for serious diseases like cancer and AIDS; makes these treatments more tolerable; and makes the dying process more humane.