Are We Missing a Bigger Opioid Crisis?
While the US suffers an overdose epidemic, most of the world misses out on painkillers.
Forty-two Americans die every day from an overdose involving painkilling prescription opioids. President Donald Trump recently declared the US opioid epidemic a national public health emergency. Yet in the world’s poorest countries, cancer patients and people recovering from major surgery often get no effective pain relief at all. Why is access to prescription painkillers so unequal? And is the shortage of opioids in much of the world getting the attention it deserves?
(Photo: View of poppies in a poppy field in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Credit: Pedro Pardo/Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Clips
-
![]()
Opioids, addiction and an innovative approach
Duration: 01:58
-
![]()
The shocking global pain divide
Duration: 01:04
Broadcasts
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 00:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, South Asia & East Asia only
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 03:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, West and Central Africa & Americas and the Caribbean only
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 04:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service South Asia & East Asia only
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 07:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & Australasia only
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 08:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Europe and the Middle East
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 15:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 18:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Thu 7 Dec 2017 23:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East, Australasia & Americas and the Caribbean only
- Mon 11 Dec 2017 04:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia
- Mon 11 Dec 2017 06:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service South Asia
- Mon 11 Dec 2017 07:06GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East Asia
Podcast
-
![]()
The Inquiry
Getting beyond the headlines to explore the forces and ideas shaping the world
