News Briefs – APRIL 2026
by INELDA
“What Would You Do?”: Doctors’ EOL Beliefs
Many patients ask their physicians what they themselves would do in regards to end-of-life care. A recent study published in Palliative Care and Social Practice aims to understand how doctors manage their own end-of-life preferences in regards to supporting their patients’ decision-making.
Drawing on guided interviews with 45 physicians in Belgium, Italy, and the United States, the researchers found that doctors understood the weight their perspective had on patients and took steps to ensure that their own preferences did not influence their patients. Yet the group diverged about whether they would reveal those preferences when asked, with physicians whose preferences differ from that of their patients expressing more reluctance to share.
This is in accord with another one of the study’s findings: Physicians are often uncomfortable acting against their personal values in their practice. Italian physicians were more likely than others to face conflict regarding medical aid in dying, as it goes against the religious beliefs of many physicians. “[I]t’s part of my value that everyone has the right to express their preferences on their own death,” one Italian participant told researchers. “At the same time, it’s part of my values that I cannot decide to take their lives.” Researchers hope to draw on these findings to better support policies that promote patient-centered care at end of life.
Child Death Rate Slows, Though Not Evenly
While the global rate of child death continues to fall, the pace of progress in reducing child deaths has slowed by more than 60% since 2015. According to the United Nations report “Levels & Trends in Child Mortality,” in 2024 nearly 5 million children died before turning 5, with newborns accounting for slightly less than half of those deaths.
“No child should die from diseases that we know how to prevent,” said UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell in a statement. “But we see worrying signs that progress in child survival is slowing—and at a time where we’re seeing further global budget cuts.”
Child mortality is spread unevenly. Sub-Saharan Africa saw 58% percent of all deaths of children under 5, with infectious disease accounting for more than half of those deaths. Europe, North America, and Oceania each saw between 6% and 9% of all child deaths. Southern Asia accounted for one quarter of child deaths, with the first month of life proving particularly precarious in the region.
The report issued four key recommendations: making child survival a political and financing priority, focusing on those at highest risk, strengthening accountability for existing commitments in reducing child death, and investing in primary health care systems.
Death with Dignity Laws Continue to Gain Momentum
Thirteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia have MAiD laws on the books, and three more states—Missouri, Georgia, and Wisconsin—have introduced bills that would legalize medical aid in dying.
Missouri’s Death With Dignity Act (HB3497), sponsored by Republican Representative Carolyn Caton, was preceded by The Marilyn Teitelbaum Death With Dignity Act (HB2188), sponsored by Democratic Representative Ian Mackey. Both bills share similar language and goals but are sponsored by different legislators. “We are thrilled these bills have bipartisan support,” notes Death With Dignity’s website. Both bills have a proposed effective date of August 26, 2026.
Georgia’s Death and Dignity Act did not pass out of its chamber of origin by the March 6 deadline, but with eight bill sponsors, the legislation can continue through to the 2027 session. In Wisconsin, SB1114, the Our Care, Our Options Act, has 18 cosponsors.
Posted 4/3/2026