The worldwide palliative care alliance: networking national associations.

Hospice and palliative care has a history of collaboration. National associations of hospice and palliative care are now developing across the world and have produced a new partnership, the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance. The alliance aims to support the scale-up of services across the world and share best practice across national associations. The alliance facilitates World Hospice and Palliative Care Day and advocacy activities such as the use of the Korea Declaration. There are a number of work groups covering areas such as education and training, organizational development, and quality and standards, which aim to assist national associations and hospice and palliative care services to develop. A third worldwide summit of national associations is planned for 2007.