World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is a unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world.

With the 2017 theme being Universal Health Coverage and Palliative Care – Don't leave those suffering behind, the day’s aims are:

To  increase the availability of hospice and palliative care throughout the world by creating opportunities to speak out about the issues, to raise awareness and understanding of the needs – medical, social, practical, spiritual – of people living with a life limiting illness and their families and lastly to raise funds to support and develop hospice and palliative care services around the world.