WHO is supporting Tajikistan in developing a national action plan on rehabilitation and in scaling up access to assistive technology (AT). Rehabilitation can be defined as a set of interventions designed to optimize functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions. Data from 2019 shows that about a quarter of Tajikistan’s population of 10 million could benefit from rehabilitation and this figure is likely to have grown since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, WHO provided technical support to assess the rehabilitation situation in the country, including its capacity to respond to unmet needs and emergency situations. Rehabilitation has proven to reduce secondary health complications, as well as hospitalizations and re-admissions; increase independence; cut costs on health care; and improve mental health among patients.
A team of WHO experts visited Tajikistan to use a WHO system-level tool, the Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation (STARS). The team made 17 visits to health care facilities, which provide rehabilitative services and assistive products, and held meetings and focus group discussions with key ministries, professional associations, international partners, and service users. The assessment results form the basis of the new national action plan, as Tajikistan's National Strategy on Rehabilitation expired in 2020.
Scaling up access to AT
In Tajikistan, people with disabilities are entitled to free assistive products provided by the State Enterprise of Orthotics and Prosthetics. However, yearly demand for these products exceeds the supply, resulting in a long waiting list for new applicants. Outside the capital, Dushanbe, assistive products are distributed through local social protection departments, which are impacted by staff shortages and limited training opportunities for rehabilitation specialists.
WHO/Europe is working with ATscale to increase the availability of assistive products in Tajikistan. Launched in January 2023 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, this 5-year joint project hopes to reach 15 000 people and benefit 423 000 others indirectly. It will build on the success of local initiatives already underway, developing workforce competency, enhancing international collaboration, and expanding global opportunities for Tajikistan.
The Tajik government has already quadrupled its AT budget in recent years, from $200 000 to $850 000, and is dedicated to developing the National Assistive Technology Centre.
Background
Tajikistan is one of 6 countries in the WHO European Region currently supported by a 5-year USAID project on rehabilitation and AT. The project aims to create effective rehabilitation networks and advocacy, increase policy-relevant rehabilitation information, expand the provision of quality rehabilitation services, and strengthen the leadership and planning of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection with a focus on workforce empowerment. Furthermore, the Tajik government has made plans to establish a training programme for physiotherapists at the Republican Medical College in Dushanbe.
The partnership with ATscale is set to strengthen AT services in 3 countries through 2027: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Tajikistan.