Rehabilitation and assistive technology to build a fairer, healthier world
Rehabilitation and assistive technology to build a fairer, healthier world Statement in the lead up to the World Health Day, 7th April 2021
This year’s World Health Day sheds light on the need to “build a fairer, healthier world”. This issue could not be more relevant, as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the already existing health inequities. It is estimated that 2.4 billion people globally need rehabilitation.
This number is expected to continue growing. As organizations with a comprehensive understanding of
rehabilitation, including in contexts of poverty and marginalization, we are convinced that greater and better access to quality rehabilitation services and assistive technologies is crucial to build a fairer, healthier world.
How do rehabilitation and assistive technology contribute to a fairer world? Rehabilitation services are very often under-developed and under-resourced. As such, they are unavailable or unaffordable for the vast majority of the population who live in poverty, in rural areas, and in particular in low and middle-income countries
