Rehabilitation is one of these essential services, with enormous impact on the health and well-being, functioning, quality of life of individuals, and positive repercussions on their families, communities, and on the society.
By improving functioning, rehabilitation increases access to education, social engagement, and work activities, greatly contributing to participation in multiple spheres of life. Furthermore, rehabilitation shortens hospital stays, reduces readmissions and secondary health problems, thus generating benefits for the health system and for the households.
Despite the well-recognized benefits, more than 50% of people who need rehabilitation cannot access it, in particular in low and middle-income countries.
Momentum is now to boost advocacy and collaboration to improve access to rehabilitation services for everyone in need, including people living with spinal cord injuries.
At the 76th World Health Assembly in May 2023, Member States adopted unanimously the first-ever resolution on rehabilitation. This new international policy framework sets commitments to Member States, the World Health Organisation, and other stakeholders (international organisations, academia, private sector, and civil society actors) with a view to strengthen rehabilitation in health systems. Consistent implementation of this resolution can help “ensure the availability and affordability of quality and timely rehabilitation services", thus making a real difference on the lives of many people worldwide.
