According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 2 billion people globally will need at least 1 assistive product by 2030 while only 1 in 10 out of people in need of assistive technology have access. It is estimated that 606,700 children below 5 years and 1,104,000 people above 5 years are living with disabilities. The major causes of disability as established during the 2019 national census are physical (42%), visual (36%), and cognitive (23%) while 17% are hearing-related. The need for Assistive Technology (AT) amongst the 1.7m ns living with a disability is therefore huge yet with very limited access. For example, 25% of people living with physical disability need a wheelchair in, yet less than 5% have access. Without AT, many children are denied the opportunity to get an education and are more likely to suffer from health issues, caregivers are forced to give up their livelihoods to take care of children, people living with disabilities are denied their livelihoods while families are pushed further into poverty due to catastrophic out-of-pocket costs spent on inappropriate solutions. Multiple factors contribute to the low access to AT. The available AT devices are costly and not affordable to the population, while 36.4% live below the  poverty line of less than $1.90 per day

The strategy’s mission is to build a progressive and sustainable rehabilitation healthcare sub-system that enables individuals with functional limitations and participation restrictions to attain the highest quality of life.

Goal

The overall goal is to:

1)  Attain equitable, affordable, accessible, and quality rehabilitation services and AT for all.

2)  Create competent and responsive rehabilitation human resources and,

3)  Foster innovation and be at the forefront of evidence-based policy and practice.

Objectives

The strategy is anchored on strategic objectives that form the implementation framework as outlined herein:

i.  Increase accessibility of Rehabilitation services to all including PWDs

ii.  Implement existing policies/ guidelines and develop other policy frameworks that are key in scaling up rehabilitation services

iii.  Scale up and strengthen Rehabilitation service delivery at all levels of care

iv.  Increase access to appropriate assistive technology

v.  Enhance financing for Rehabilitation services and assistive technology

vi.  Secure political and leadership commitment to scale up Rehabilitation Services and increase access to  Assistive Technology.

Examples include:

• Physical disabilities
• Visual impairments
• Hearing disabilities
• Speech and Language disorders
• Neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders