Poverty, the gravest “social disease” of all, has major repercussions for people's health. This postulate is confirmed by the findings of the 2022 Caritas and ISTAT reports, which highlight the “traps” associated with mounting poverty in Italy, where actions to counter its negative impacts exist, yet are too limited to enable extensive social change.

“There is plenty that can be done once there is nothing more to be done”: so said the pioneers of palliative care. It’s a notion that comes in handy for further reflection on this delicate mode of care, especially when working in African settings, whose cultures of death differ greatly from the West’s.