By Assad Abbas Malik for ReLAB-HS The growing need for rehabilitation and assistive technology (AT) services in Pakistan, fueled by factors such as an aging population, increased incidence of noncommunicable diseases, and road traffic injuries, is largely unmet due to limited availability and access to these services. This leaves a significant portion of the population… Read more

By Sarah Magoba for ReLAB-HS The need for rehabilitation and assistive technology (AT) services in Uganda is high—according to 2019 estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), one in six people could benefit from rehabilitation. The Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation (STARS) completed earlier this year in Uganda found that, among other factors, the delivery… Read more

In September 2023, Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS) co-organized a webinar on Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology (AT) in Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in partnership with the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030, the Global Health Council, and Results for Development. The webinar’s panelists made the case for the integration of… Read more

By Hsu Wai Mon Oo for ReLAB-HS In Burma, political instability has increased the need for rehabilitation services. Currently, there are very limited opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) to support rehabilitation professionals in responding to this need. Through the Clinical Skills Training Program, Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS) has… Read more

By Sarah Magoba for ReLAB-HS   “If identification and referral are strengthened…imagine the change this will create in the lives of persons in need of rehabilitation and AT services.”  – Waiswa Simon, Health Assistant, Mayuge Health Centre IV    Ivan Mugabi, a three-year-old living in Kasugu B village in the district of Mayuge, Uganda, was… Read more

By Lucy Aird for ReLAB-HS In Uganda approximately 6.8 million people experience conditions that could benefit from rehabilitation. Yet, availability of services is a considerable challenge. A critical contributing factor to these gaps in services is the limited workforce capacity to service increasing rehabilitation needs. Learning, Acting, and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS)… Read more

By Lamech Emoru and Maria Toro for ReLAB-HS The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 2.5 billion people today need one or more assistive products, such as walking canes, crutches, wheelchairs, and hearing aids. However, in some countries, only 3 percent of people have access to them. Limited available services with personnel trained in… Read more

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