There are no established palliative care services in Cote d’Ivoire. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought to the fore the need for a comprehensive and sustainable health package for terminally ill patients at community level. Although some health professionals in Cote d’Ivoire are familiar with the use of morphine for cancer and neurological pain there has yet to be a coordinated and structured plan to incorporate managed pain control into the public health system. Joseph Essombo explains the current situation:

There are already health professionals who use drugs as morphine for pain management with cancer patients, with patients suffering from neurological diseases, with patients who suffer from rheumatology problems, but it is really not yet well structured and implemented and especially it is not yet working with the community’s involvement.²