Rehabilitation is now essential care. What does that mean for disability support?

In May 2024, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution that puts rehabilitation services into the heart of public healthcare. It is the first time rehab has been officially recognised as essential, not optional.

What actually changed

Many governments have treated rehab like a specialist service, only for hospitals or high income areas.

Now they are being asked to include it in primary care.

That includes:

• occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech support

• psychological care and counselling

• mobility and assistive devices

• basic rehab services that reach schools, clinics, and homes

What this solves

In most countries, more than half of the people who need rehab never get it.

That means:

• children not walking to school

• adults unable to return to work

• carers burning out with no support

• rehab equipment arriving late, broken, or never

The longer rehab is delayed, the more costly it becomes. Families pay. Governments pay. People lose time and independence.

What this means for everyday work

This resolution makes room for:

• new jobs in occupational therapy and physio

• better funding for community programs

• local production and supply of assistive tech

• rehab support written into health insurance and public services

It also means frontline workers can now point to a global agreement when advocating for services.

What to do now

This matters if you are a therapist, a parent, a carer or a teacher.

Use this resolution to:

• start a training program

• ask for rehab services at your local clinic

• build partnerships between rehab workers and other health teams

• show decision makers what real access looks like

Why it matters

Rehab is not a luxury. It is what gets people out of bed, back to school, back to work. It is what helps people live life on their own terms.

If we say we believe in inclusion, then rehab needs to be part of the plan.

This resolution gives you the backup to push forward.

So ask yourself:

What does essential rehab look like where you live? What would it take to make that happen?

It starts small. One clinic. One worker. One community.

Now we have policy on our side. Let’s build from there.