As an advocate for older persons, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) recognizes that rehabilitation is critical to the maintenance of individuals’ functional ability and capacity for healthy ageing. Need for rehabilitation is expected to increase as the global population ages, prompting the launch of the World Rehabilitation Alliance to increase awareness and demand for rehabilitation using evidence-based advocacy activities.
Key takeaways –
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- At the 3rd Global Rehabilitation 2030 meeting on 10-11 July the World Rehabilitation Alliance (WRA) was launched by the World Health Organization.
– - The WRA is a network of stakeholders committed to advocating for rehabilitation to be recognized as an essential health service included within Universal Health Coverage.
– - Rehabilitation broadly consists of interventions designed to allow individuals to maintain independence by optimizing their functioning and assisting them in navigating the relationship between their health and the environments they live within.
– - The IFA is proud to be a member of the WRA, contributing to the Health Policy & Systems Research and Workforce workstreams. Together with other health advocates the IFA will be calling for there to be increased research on the impact of rehabilitation in maintaining and improving the functional ability of older persons, as well as supporting efforts to ensure that rehabilitation practitioners have the appropriate training to meet the needs of older patients.