Rehabilitation in health systems: Guide for actio

Rehabilitation addresses the impact of a health condition on a person’s everyday life, by optimizing their functioning and reducing the experience of disability. Rehabilitation expands the focus of health beyond preventative and curative care, to ensure people with a health condition can remain as independent as possible and participate in education, work and meaningful life roles. Anybody may need rehabilitation at some point in their lives, whether they have experienced an injury, disease, illness, or detriments in functioning associated with ageing.

Global demographic and health trends, such as population ageing and a rising prevalence of noncommunicable diseases, as well as continued consequences of conflict, injury and developmental conditions are placing increasing demands on the health system. The need for quality rehabilitation services is rapidly growing, however in many parts of the world this need is going largely unmet. In some low- and middle-income countries more than 50% of people do not receive the rehabilitation services they require.