Rehabilitation: what it is and why it is not a luxury

What rehabilitation is

The WHO defines it as a set of interventions that help people function as well as possible and reduce disability, taking into account the environment they live in.

The aim is to keep you as independent as possible and able to carry on with work, education, activities and family life.

Who needs it

According to the WHO, about 2.4 billion people worldwide live with a health condition that could benefit from rehabilitation. That number will grow, as the number of people over 60 is expected to double by 2050.

The WHO makes three things clear: rehabilitation is not only for people with disabilities, it is not a luxury, and it should start as soon as a condition appears, not after it becomes long-term.

Who provides it

Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, audiologists, orthotists and prosthetists, clinical psychologists, and rehabilitation doctors and nurses. It happens in hospitals, clinics, at home, at school and at work.

A global priority

In 2017 the WHO launched the Rehabilitation 2030 initiative with ten areas for action. In May 2023 the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to strengthen rehabilitation in health systems, and for the first time in 75 years rehabilitation was recognised as a core public health priority.

Rehabilitation is part of universal health coverage, alongside prevention, treatment and palliative care.