Mapping the Global Evidence for Children’s Palliative Care: 2020–2025

Background: The peer-reviewed evidence base for children’s palliative care (CPC) has grown considerably in recent years, yet the extent to which this literature reflects the global distribution of children requiring palliative care has not previously been established at a field level. This mapping review characterises the CPC evidence base published between 2020 and 2025, with particular attention to the geographic distribution of study focus and authorship. Methods: A mapping review of peer-reviewed CPC publications was conducted using Scopus. An adapted mapping review framework was applied to guide searching, screening, and data extraction. Publications were analysed by year, geographic region, first and last authorship, methodology, clinical focus, and thematic content. Results: A total of 2339 publications were mapped. Publication volume grew across the period, demonstrating an increasingly diverse evidence base for the field. However, both study focus and first and last authorship were heavily concentrated in high-income settings: the World Health Organization (WHO) Americas and European regions accounted for the majority of publications and authors. The African region was markedly underrepresented relative to its burden of need. Over one hundred countries had neither any publication focused on their population nor any first or last authors. Substantial disparities were also evident within regions, with regional totals frequently driven by a single country, and gaps in clinical and thematic coverage were more pronounced in underrepresented regions. Meaningful intra-regional disparities in publication volume and first and last authorship were observed across all WHO regions. Conclusions: This review documents both the progress and the persistent gaps in the global CPC evidence base. The distribution of research continues to diverge from the distribution of need. Realising a more inclusive and representative body of scholarship will require sustained investment in locally led research capacity, equitable collaboration structures, and research agendas responsive to the priorities of under-resourced settings and the diverse communities they serve.