Enhancing Hungarian palliative care delivery.

Palliative care has been present in Hungary since 1991. However, the development of palliative care policy has lagged behind clinical and educational activities. In 2001, a media campaign was initiated to help raise public awareness for the hospice. This campaign stimulated growth and gave us the opportunity to begin a dialogue with policy makers on financing. The Open Society Institute's Palliative Care Policy Development Conferences held in 2004 and 2005 greatly assisted the change of palliative care financing and integration of palliative care into the Hungarian National Cancer Control Program.