Comunidades compasivas en Colombia para el apoyo a personas con enfermedad avanzada y al final de la vida: uniendo esfuerzos

Many middle-income countries are facing an advanced demographic change towards ageing. Caring for this heterogeneous population represents a challenge for health systems and requires a growing participation of the community, considering the high prevalence of chronic diseases in the elderly, and their frequent functional dependence and fragility, which altogether impacts their quality of life and increases health costs. The World Health Organization adopted in the 1990s a community public health approach seeking to empower the society in the care of their health. Since then, a social movement known as “Compassionate communities” has emerged, based on a principle that prioritizes the community´s wellbeing. The initiatives that promote the social inclusion of palliative care in everyday life are an example of these “communities that care” and that teach others how to care for a person facing the end of life. This article presents the background of compassionate communities and their importance to palliative care. It also describes the development of this movement in Colombia and details the individual and collective actions of the cities interested in joining efforts toward the wellbeing of people facing advanced illness and the end of life. In a relatively short period, Colombia has successfully promoted compassionate actions in seven cities and has begun to develop networks not only locally but also nationally. It is hoped that many more will join this effort to complement and strengthen palliative care.