This month the USAID-funded Rehabilitation for Ukraine (Rehab4U) project was launched during an official event on 7 November in Kyiv to strengthen the capacity of physical rehabilitation systems in Ukraine.
The number of Ukrainians requiring quality rehabilitation care has increased dramatically due to the ongoing war with Russia. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, over 250,000 people each year now require physical rehabilitation, which has placed a critical level of demand on rehabilitation services in the country. The war has also highlighted the urgent need to strengthen the current rehabilitation sector by addressing challenges in governance, financing, workforce, service delivery and access to assistive technology.
To address this Rehab4U, funded by USAID, has been developed to establish a resilient and inclusive rehabilitation system that improves the functional abilities, social participation and economic opportunities of all Ukrainians. Working in close coordination with the Ukrainian government, national and regional-level authorities and other key donors and stakeholders in the rehabilitation sector, Rehab4U will focus both on the immediate needs of the country’s rehabilitation system and its patients, as well as on long-term systemic change. It will be implemented across 15 regions in Ukraine to ensure nationwide impact, employing a multi-faceted approach, including regional action plans, service model pilots and workforce development.
As part of this new initiative to support rehabilitation in Ukraine and in support of workforce capacity building, Ukrainian rehabilitation professionals now have access to the online learning platform Physiopedia Plus (Plus) with more than 700 continuing professional development (CPD) courses on rehabilitation-related topics, with 327 online courses (and counting!) available in Ukrainian. Plus courses are being created specific to the needs in Ukraine, approved for CPD by the Ministry of Health, as well as integrated into the Academy of the National Health Service of Ukraine to support rehabilitation professionals with their CPD activities.
“We are very pleased to be able to continue to support the professional development of rehabilitation professionals in Ukraine through Rehab4U. We are looking forward to working closely with the Ministry of Health to provide appropriate quality educational materials to support individuals and organisations alike.” Rachael Lowe, Physiopedia Co-Founder
If you are a rehabilitation professional in Ukraine looking to activate your free access to Physiopedia Plus please find out more here.
Rehabilitation for Ukraine (Rehab4U) is implemented by Momentum Wheels for Humanity with the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Physiopedia Plus is a subscription site that offers internationally accredited continuing education and professional development opportunities for the global rehabilitation community in 6 languages.
Your subscription fees fund the Physiopedia charity website to keep it updated and openly accessible to all.
Your subscription also provides FREE access to Plus for rehabilitation professionals in low income countries.
There are also discounts available depending on where you live and for students.