Rehabilitation should be accessible in every community. People should not have to travel hundreds of kilometers in search of essential services.
It is crucial to understand that rehabilitation is not just about medical care—it does not end in a hospital ward. To return to everyday life after an injury or illness, individuals need social support, prosthetics, or assistive rehabilitation devices such as wheelchairs and canes. People also require inclusive education, employment opportunities, and barrier-free environments.
Today, communities must become comfortable living spaces for a significant number of people with disabilities, including veterans who have sustained injuries due to war.
That is why, in the fall, with the support of GIZ, we launched a project to develop a rehabilitation system in three communities—Nizhyn, Bashtanka, and Rozdilna.
The first phase involved identifying communities that had already taken initial steps in this direction and demonstrated rehabilitation potential. We then developed an approach for their in-depth assessment.
We conducted surveys among local government representatives, healthcare institutions, social services, and public organizations to analyze the current state of rehabilitation services, evaluate resources and accessibility, and identify key needs and gaps.
Based on the collected data, we created community profiles, developed patient pathways, and worked with local stakeholders to develop action plans. These plans cover local rehabilitation organization, funding, staffing, access to assistive rehabilitation devices, barrier-free environments, social support, and inclusive education.
The next phase involved implementing key activities from these plans:
— Conducted 3 online and 9 offline training sessions for community representatives;
— Trained 138 participants, primarily specialists directly involved in providing rehabilitation services, as well as local government representatives and professionals from the healthcare and social sectors;
— Procured and delivered 43 types of rehabilitation equipment, assistive devices, and accessibility elements for healthcare and social institutions;
— Developed informational materials to raise public awareness about rehabilitation, medical, and social services, as well as prosthetics and assistive rehabilitation devices, aiming to reach at least 1,800 residents in each community.
This project is just the beginning. We continue working to ensure that rehabilitation services are nearby, accessible, and high-quality, making communities places where people can recover, work, and live full lives.
Project “Community-based rehabilitation in Ukraine: Piloting a Holistic Approach to Rehabilitation in Targeted Communities” funded by the European Union, implemented by the CF “Patients of Ukraine” and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the framework of the Special Assistance Programme for Ukraine/EU4ResilientRegions
