There are two opioid crises. The first is overdose deaths, especially in North America. The other opioid crisis is the lack of access to opiates for medical purposes, including pain control. WHO estimates that 80% of the world's population, primarily in low and middle income countries have no or insufficient access to opiates for the control of moderate to severe pain. These medicines are much needed, but there are many hurdles, including fears about addiction and leakage into the illicit market leading to very stringent import and prescription regulations. What is the appropriate way to regulate these medicines to ensure access for the control of pain?

Human Rights Watch (2016) Morocco: Thousands Face Needless Suffering at End of Life

https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/02/04/morocco-thousands-face-needless-suffering-end-life

World Health Organization (2023) Left behind in pain: Extent and causes of global variations in access to morphine for medical use and actions to improve safe access

https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/369294/9789240075269-eng.pdf?sequence=1

Pain project: Uganda solution

Pain project: social pain