We continue to strengthen rehabilitation systems in communities so that everyone has access to recovery close to home, in a familiar environment, and with the support of loved ones.
When a rehabilitation system is developed at the community level, cooperation between healthcare and social services is established, collaboration among specialists is fostered, patient pathways are created, and everyone involved understands their role in the recovery process. As a result, support becomes comprehensive, consistent, and better aligned with people’s actual needs.
With support from GIZ, we joined the initial stages of development in the Rozdilna, Nizhyn, and Bashtanka communities: we trained specialists, helped adapt physical spaces, and supported the launch of team-based approaches. In partnership with the World Bank, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast assessed the barriers that prevent people from receiving timely and high-quality rehabilitation in their communities. This experience showed that a community can become a space for recovery—if it has the knowledge, resources, and a team that works together.
Together with Protez Hub, we continue to develop community-based rehabilitation through the project “The Rehabilitation Pathway: From Regional to Community Level” with the support of Enabel in Ukraine, the Belgian development agency. As part of the project, we will work with communities in Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts to strengthen local rehabilitation systems—making them more accessible and sustainable.
Our planned activities include:
- Developing and implementing patient pathways for individuals with injuries, strokes, complex diseases, or congenital conditions.
- Conducting training for doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, social workers, employers, and local managers—so that everyone understands how rehabilitation works and functions as part of a unified team.
- Strengthening intersectoral cooperation at the community level.
- Promoting the development of essential support services for full reintegration into daily life, such as personal care, housing adaptation, accessible transportation, employment, and inclusive education.
- Adapting spaces and infrastructure—we will support both minor and major renovations to help communities create barrier-free environments.
The best practices developed within the project will be integrated into national policy as a foundation for new standards and regulatory frameworks in the field of rehabilitation.
The project “The Rehabilitation Pathway: From Regional to Community Level” is implemented by the CF “Patients of Ukraine” as part of the War Trauma Rehabilitation initiative, with support from Enabel, the Belgian development agency.
