What is Early Rehabilitation in Disasters and Conflicts
Original Editors - Add your name/s here if you are the original editor/s of this page. User Name
Top Contributors - Naomi O'Reilly, Kim Jackson, Rucha Gadgil, Lucinda hampton, Jess Bell, Rishika Babburu and Tarina van der Stockt
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Rehabilitation is a concept that is widely discussed globally. This is by no means unexpected since over a billion people now live with some form of disability, accounting for over 15% of the w orld population. Furthermore, 2.41 billion individuals worldwide live with the conditions that impact their functions in daily life and would benefit from rehabilitation services, which equates to 1 in 3 individuals requiring rehabilitation services throughout the course of their illness or injury.[1]
Fundamentally, rehabilitation is founded on the philosophy that every individual has the inherent tendency and right to be an expert in their own health care.[2]
Rehabilitation is one of the core health strategies of the World Health Organisation, along with the promotion, prevention, treatment, and palliative care. WHO defines rehabilitation as
"a set of measures that assist individuals who experience, or are likely to experience, disability to achieve and maintain optimal functioning in interaction with their environments.” [3]
Rehabilitation is then a "set of interventions designed to optimise functioning in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment". Health conditions can refer to disease (acute or chronic), injury or trauma, which may also include other circumstances such as pregnancy, ageing, stress, congenital anomaly, or genetic predisposition. Anyone with a health condition who experiences some form of limitation in functioning, such as mobility, vision, or cognition, may need rehabilitation. As such rehabilitation is best characterised through use of the biopsychosocial model through the use of interventions that address impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions, considering contextual factors both personal and environmental, including assistive technology that impact functioning.
One of the most important factors in rehabilitation is the impact of contextual factors, including the overall context in which rehabilitation takes place. We know that the environment is known to have a significant impact on treatment generally, therefore, the circumstances surrounding rehabilitation, from the situation before, during and after the event leading to a loss in function are all important factors to consider throughout the rehabilitation process.[1] The context in which rehabilitation occurs greatly influences the range and availability of rehabilitation services and their utilization.
From the first world war to more recent disasters, such as the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, the importance of integrating rehabilitation into emergency responses to conflicts and disasters has been clear. The World Health Organization emergency medical team standards and recommendations for rehabilitation, launched in 2016, signalled significant progress in recognising the role that rehabilitation professionals play and the necessity of early intervention. However, while the emergency medical community takes strides towards integrating early rehabilitation in conflict and disaster response, early rehabilitation remains an emerging area.[4]
Rehabilitation professionals face unique challenges associated with complex trauma, injury surge and resource scarcity that many have never encountered before. Practical guidance to deliver quality early rehabilitation in these contexts is essential if conflict and disaster response is to evolve beyond its life- and limb-saving mandate to deliver care that maximises patient outcomes. Rehabilitation professionals need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet patient needs and navigate the demands of emergency medical response. In humanitarian emergency situations such as during or post-conflict and natural disaster situations, the need for basic functional rehabilitation services is overwhelming and critical to preventing disability and improving the lives of people with disabilities.
Early Rehabilitation is now recognised as being an integral part of a patient’s recovery in conflicts and disaster situations. Starting in acute care, early rehabilitation can help prevent complications, speed recovery, and help ensure continuity of care. Rehabilitation professionals working in early rehabilitation need skills across a wide range of clinical areas, and in conflicts and disasters need to be able to manage challenges including large surges in patient numbers, limited equipment, and complex clinical presentations[5]. Due to advances in response, management and post medical care in disaster situations, high mortality rates have gradually transitioned to increased morbidity rates.
Natural Disasters[edit | edit source]
Victims of natural disasters now have a higher chance of survival; they may, however, have disabilities which may significantly impact their physical and psychological health and affect their quality of life; patients with pre-existing disabilities and co-morbidities are also at the risk of higher mortality rate.[7][8] Rehabilitation in natural disaster situations should be of utmost concern due to the vulnerability of the victims, some areas which need interventions in disaster situations include; [1]
- Collaboration and governance
- Capacity building
- Person-centred multidisciplinary care
- Improved communication
- Increased public awareness and active participation/inclusion of disaster survivors/family/community partners
- Strengthen evidence-based information, education and access to information
- Strengthen community-based rehabilitation.
Heading 2[edit | edit source]
Add your content to this page here!
Heading 3 [edit | edit source]
Add your content to this page here!
Resources[edit | edit source]
References [edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Duttine A, Battello J, Beaujolais A, Hailemariam M, Mac-Seing M, Mukangwije P, et al. Introduction to Rehabilitation Factsheet. Handicap International. 2016. Available from: https://humanity-inclusion.org.uk/sn_uploads/document/2017-02-factsheet-rehabilitation-introduction-web_1.pdf [Accessed on 8 January, 2020]. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Gender AR. Scope of rehabilitation and rehabilitation nursing. Chin P, Finocchiaro D. Rosebrough, A. Rehabilitation nursing practice. New york: McGraw-Hill,.1996.
- ↑ World Health Organization. World Report on Disability 2011. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2011. Rehabilitation.
- ↑ Lathia C, Skelton P, Clift Z. Early rehabilitation in conflicts and disasters. HI. Accessed from Humanity--Inclusion-Clinical-Handbook.
- ↑ WHO. Early rehabilitation in conflict and disasters
- ↑ Early Rehabilitation in Conflicts and Disasters. Early Rehabilitation in Conflicts and Disasters: What is Early Rehabilitation?. Available from: https://youtu.be/BdHpvTGdnAA[last accessed 30/06/2021]
- ↑ Rehinhardt JD, Li J, Gosney J, Rathore FA, Haig AJ. Disability and Health-related Intervention in International Disaster Relief. Journal of Global Health Action. 2011. 4:7191
- ↑ Rathore FA, Gosney J, Reinhardt JD, Haig AJ, Li J. Medical Rehabilitation after Natural Disasters: Why, When and How?. Archives of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation. 2012. 93(10);1875 - 81
- ↑ HI Our Cause Available: https://hi.org/en/our-cause (accessed 27.8.2021)
- ↑ Early Rehabilitation in Conflict and Disaster: Nepal Earthquake Response Pushpak Newar. Available from: https://youtu.be/4Kj663QOba8 [last accessed 30/10/17]
