INTERNATIONAL DAYAWARENESS

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, observed on the second Saturday of October, honors the caregivers, families, and volunteers who bring comfort and dignity to people facing serious illness. It is a day of gentle remembrance and quiet gratitude.

OCT10

Saturday, October 10Second Saturday in October

days to go

Roots: Launched by the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance in 2005; the first observance was held on October 8, 2005.
Also on Oct 10: International Stage Management Day · World Day Against the Death Penalty · World Homeless Day
Hashtag: #WorldHospiceAndPalliativeCareDay

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3 ways to celebrate

AT HOME

A quiet remembrance

Light a candle together and share memories of loved ones who have died.

WITH FRIENDS

Notes of gratitude

Gather friends to write thank-you notes to a local hospice team.

AT WORK OR SCHOOL

Honor and learn

Invite a palliative care professional to speak, or hold a moment of silence for those the community has lost.

Plan ahead

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is observed on the second Saturday in October. Here is where it lands for the next ten years, handy for planners, marketers and party people.

2026Sat, Oct 10this year

2027Sat, Oct 9

2028Sat, Oct 14

2029Sat, Oct 13

2030Sat, Oct 12

2031Sat, Oct 11

2032Sat, Oct 9

2033Sat, Oct 8

2034Sat, Oct 14

2035Sat, Oct 13

2036Sat, Oct 11

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Fast facts

The World Health Organization estimates that about 40 million people need palliative care each year, yet only around 14 percent receive it.

2026The 2026 theme, Pain Management: An Essential Part of Palliative Care, recognizes that uncontrolled pain remains one of the greatest barriers to dignity at the end of life.

The story

In 2005, health care leaders from around the world gathered in South Korea and recognized a painful truth: almost no one was speaking up for palliative and hospice care in global health policy. From that meeting the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance was formed, and one of its first acts was to set aside a day for the world to recognize this essential care. The first World Hospice and Palliative Care Day was held on October 8, 2005, and it has been observed on the second Saturday of October ever since.

Read the full story

Palliative care is often misunderstood. It is not only for the final days of life; it can be provided alongside curative treatment at any stage of a serious illness. Its purpose is deeply human: to ease pain and other distressing symptoms, and to support the emotional and spiritual well-being of patients and their families. Modern hospice care traces its roots to Dame Cicely Saunders, who founded St Christopher's Hospice in 1967, and the term palliative care was coined by Dr. Balfour Mount in 1974.

Yet the need far outpaces the reach. As many as 71 percent of Americans have little to no understanding of what palliative care is, and millions worldwide go without it. This day exists to close that gap with compassion: through webinars, walks, concerts, community breakfasts, and quiet conversations, people in nearly 70 countries honor the caregivers, remember those who have died, and affirm that every person deserves comfort and dignity, whatever lies ahead.