Highlighting the importance of identifying and leveraging new opportunities, the Regional Director called for integrating basic rehabilitation into routine health services and expanding innovative care models to ensure equitable access, especially for those in remote areas.
“People and communities must be engaged and empowered, with a focus on increasing health literacy and enhancing demand for rehabilitation services, including assistive technologies,” Wazed said at the Regional Meeting on Accelerating Access to Rehabilitation in South-East Asia’ in Dhaka.
Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by public health emergencies and face significant inequalities across various spheres. They are more likely to live in poverty, have risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, and lack access to essential health services.
Strengthening, and strategically positioning the rehabilitation workforce, along with addressing gaps, is crucial. Rehabilitation services should be integrated with programmes addressing NCDs, mental health, healthy ageing, and services for manageing humanitarian crises and health emergencies and fostering disability inclusion across sectors, added Wazed.
Governance and data must be improved, with monitoring frameworks in place.
“Strengthening financial risk protection and leveraging technology like telemedicine, mobile health apps, and wearable devices can be used to overcome distance and cost barriers and extend rehabilitation services to underserved and remote communities,” she further added.
At the three-day regional meeting, officials, programme managers, rehabilitation experts from academic institutions and hospitals, international partners, and NGOs will discuss and deliberate over models of rehabilitation and assistive technologies with country-specific examples, challenges faced, and opportunities.
They will also help firm up the ‘Framework on Provisioning Rehabilitation Services in the Region’ that aims to guide member countries in enhancing these critical services.
Describing this as a pivotal opportunity to transform health, well-being, and livelihoods, especially for the most marginalised and those left furthest behind, Wazed emphasised the need to challenge the stigma surrounding disability, injury, and mental health issues.
“By fostering a culture of empathy, understanding, and inclusion, we can create a society where individuals feel empowered to seek help without fear of judgement or discrimination. And to mitigate the vast, inequitable, and rising costs of rehabilitation services in all countries of the region, promoting sustainable social and economic development,” she added.
