title: A call to action: an IWG charter for a public health approach to dying, death, and loss.
abstract: The current systems of care for dying persons, the people caring for them, and the bereaved operate in ways that frequently lack sufficient sensitivity to their needs. We describe a new model for dying, death, and loss that adopts a public health approach. Specifically, we describe a deliberative process that resulted in a charter for a public health approach to dying, death, and loss. Modeled after the World Health Organization's 1986 Ottawa Charter, our charter includes a call to action. It has the potential to bring about significant change on local, societal, and global levels as exemplified by four projects from three countries. Public health and end-of-life services and organizations need to form partnerships with the community to develop a public health approach to dying, death, and loss. Learning from each other, they will affirm and enhance community beliefs and practices that make death part of life.
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Lynne A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: DeSpelder
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dawes
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellershaw
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Glennys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Howarth
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kellehear
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Monroe
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oliviere
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Relf
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rowling
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.affiliation: International Work Group for Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).
authors.forename: Diana J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilkie
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D014943:Global Health; D006117:Grief; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D011634:Public Health; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014944:World Health Organization