Palliative care in Egypt is in the early stages of development. For many years the major support for patients with life-threatening illness, most particularly cancer, has been via oncology units specialising in pain relief.¹³ Tawfik reports that in the early 1990s he located a single clinic that focused on training a member of the patient’s family in pain relief with the help of the supporting doctor.

Dr Nagwa Elkateb (NCI) reports that at present there is much debate about how and in what form palliative care might become established in Egypt: solutions are still unclear. She explains:

We have good guidelines on opioids, but we have to assess the needs in Egypt – motivated by the workshop [Larnaca MECC conference, February 2004], but we don’t know the needs. Do we need supportive care, palliative care? Do we start with cancer or other diseases? Maybe we don’t need other hospices? Maybe a terminal care unit in each hospital?’¹⁴ There is felt to be a need for some input from experienced international organisations who can offer support and guidance.¹⁵