Summary

Adequate relief of the pain associated with cancer is now recognized as a patient right, and opioid analgesics are essential for effective relief of this pain [Cherny NI et al. Ann Oncol 2010]. However, an opioid regulatory paradox exists with 2 conflicting needs: these drugs should be available to the patients who need them, but they should be prevented from becoming a source of abuse. Restrictions on the availability and accessibility of opioids in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East pose a major public health problem. This article reports on new data on the state of management of cancer pain in these countries.