By Assad Abbas Malik for ReLAB-HS In her nearly three decades of experience working in community health in rural Pakistan, Nasreen Saba had encountered countless individuals who would benefit from rehabilitation or assistive technology (AT) services. However, she had limited knowledge of these services and what role she could have in supporting community members who… Read more

By Manjula Marella for ReLAB-HS New technologies can improve healthcare delivery and increase access to essential services in low- and middle-income countries. What can we learn from a community-based inclusive development (CBID) project in Laos? Technologies like tablet-based assessment tools, centralized databases and supported decision-making are playing an important role in many community interventions including… Read more

By Hanaa Ahsan for ReLAB-HS “One in every five people in Pakistan need access to rehabilitation services, and now more than ever, it is imperative that all sectors work together to mainstream rehabilitation services within health systems in Pakistan,” emphasized Dr. Abdulgafoor Bachani, Director of the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU) and Learning,… Read more

By Sarah Magoba for ReLAB-HS Atim Joyce Mary is the founder of the Centre for Spinal Injuries Advocacy, a community-based organization in the town of Iganga in Eastern Uganda that advocates for girls and women living with spinal cord inquires. Joyce founded this organization after experiencing challenges in accessing a wheelchair. As a result of… Read more

By Katherine Dobson and Sarah Magoba for ReLAB-HS There is a widening gap between available rehabilitation services and the needs of the global population, at least 2.4 billion of whom experience a condition that could benefit from rehabilitation.  In Uganda, where we are collaborating on the USAID-funded Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation in Health… Read more

Every two years World Physiotherapy holds a large international scientific congress, bringing the global community together. This year, the World Physiotherapy Congress 2023 took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 2-4, 2023. It offered an unparalleled opportunity to meet with experts and colleagues from around the world, exchange and share innovations and ideas, and… Read more

The DHIS2 Rehabilitation Module Indicator Selection Workshop took place in Jinja, Uganda, from January 30th to February 1st, 2023. Organized by ReLAB-HS, the workshop aimed to integrate rehabilitation and Assistive Technology (AT) related indicators into Uganda’s Health Information Management System using the DHIS2 platform. The multi-stakeholder event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Health,… Read more

By Gilliane McShane and Valentina Pomatto for ReLAB-HS After years of efforts to bring rehabilitation into the fold of what is considered essential health care, rehabilitation advocates saw the successful adoption of the first ever international resolution on rehabilitation at the Seventy-Sixth World Health Assembly on May 24, 2023. This resolution aspires to expand and… Read more

By Sergii Khomchenko, Olha Kovalchuk, and Diana Shcherbinina for ReLAB-HS Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS), a global activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ended activities in Ukraine in February 2023. Despite being faced with the realities of war, ReLAB-HS Ukraine made significant progress in advancing… Read more

By Kate Neely for ReLAB-HS Rehabilitation and assistive technologies are increasingly part of health systems’ agendas. But policies alone are inadequate without shared vision and practical action. Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Results for Development, presented their shared vision for strengthening rehabilitation… Read more