Positioning rehabilitation as a key global health strategy

Abstract

As the world ages, and as global health priorities focus on reducing mortality, the world is experiencing a growing demand for rehabilitation services that can help optimise people’s functioning and keep them healthy, productive and engaged in meaningful activities for longer¹². Currently, however, rehabilitation services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, do not have the capacity to adequately address the needs of the population¹. The WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021³ includes the strengthening of rehabilitation services as a key objective and presents actions towards this end for WHO, member states and national and international partners. Today this action plan sits in a broader context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)⁴, which sets an exciting and ambitious agenda for global health. Goal 3, “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” cannot be achieved without quality rehabilitation services, and the mantra of the SDGs to “leave no one behind” compels us to ensure that these services reach all those that need them. It is therefore imperative that rehabilitation be included in efforts towards Target 3.8, achieving universal health coverage.
The objective of the presentation is to show how WHO’s agenda on disability and rehabilitation has evolved over the years. Furthermore, the impact of the SDGs and WHO’s conceptualization of disability on the objectives of the action plan and their corresponding activities will be discussed, including how this will guide the strategic direction of rehabilitation in the next 15 years.