By TQM News Desk
In a landmark move to strengthen disability-inclusive healthcare and bring essential rehabilitation services closer to underserved communities, the Federal Government has launched Integrated Rehabilitation Services in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Nigeria, with Bauchi State emerging as the first beneficiary of the initiative.
The programme, unveiled at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Doya, in Bauchi Local Government Area, marks a significant step towards ensuring that persons with disabilities (PWDs), older persons, trauma survivors, and others living with functional limitations can access quality rehabilitation services without travelling long distances to tertiary hospitals.
The initiative is being implemented through a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Medical Rehabilitation (FEPDMR), with support from key stakeholders in the health and disability sectors.
The programme is designed to integrate rehabilitation services into Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare system, making specialised care available at health facilities located within communities. This is expected to reduce the burden of transportation, financial hardship, and delayed treatment, particularly for persons with disabilities residing in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
Under the initiative, designated Primary Healthcare Centres across the country will provide a comprehensive range of rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, audiology, prosthetic and orthotic services, among other interventions aimed at improving functional independence and quality of life.
Speaking during the official launch, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, described the programme as a transformative milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward building an inclusive, equitable and resilient healthcare system that leaves no one behind.
Represented by Hon. Baba Abubakar, the minister said integrating rehabilitation into Primary Healthcare would significantly improve healthcare access for persons with disabilities while also benefiting older persons, individuals recovering from injuries, people living with non-communicable diseases, and others experiencing temporary or permanent functional limitations.
According to him, rehabilitation is no longer a specialised service reserved for tertiary hospitals but an essential component of Primary Healthcare that should be available to everyone, regardless of where they live.
He explained that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the administration’s commitment to revitalising Primary Healthcare, expanding access to quality health services, promoting social inclusion, and protecting vulnerable populations across Nigeria.
Prof. Pate further noted that the programme complements the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which seeks to reposition the country’s health sector through improved governance, strengthened infrastructure, enhanced workforce development, and better quality healthcare delivery.
Describing rehabilitation as a strategic investment in human capital development, Universal Health Coverage and sustainable national development, the minister stressed that increasing access to rehabilitation services would enable millions of Nigerians to live healthier, more productive and independent lives.
He pointed out that the growing global burden of disability, injuries, ageing populations and non-communicable diseases had prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to place rehabilitation at the centre of global public health through its Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative.
According to him, Nigeria has fully embraced this global vision by approving the implementation of the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative, inaugurating the National Rehabilitation Technical Working Group in November 2024, and commencing the development of critical national policies and implementation frameworks to institutionalise rehabilitation services within the country’s healthcare system.
The minister also disclosed that the Federal Government had approved the National Minimum Benchmark Framework for integrating rehabilitation services and workforce requirements into Primary Healthcare facilities nationwide, providing a standardised approach to delivering quality rehabilitation services across all states.
Prof. Pate commended the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria, the World Health Organisation, development partners, and the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Medical Rehabilitation for their unwavering commitment to improving rehabilitation services in Nigeria.
He gave special recognition to the Foundation for equipping the Doya Primary Healthcare Centre with modern rehabilitation equipment, describing the intervention as a shining example of how effective public-private partnerships can strengthen healthcare delivery and improve the lives of vulnerable citizens.
Speaking on behalf of the Bauchi State Government, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Mohammed Dambam, expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for selecting the state to pioneer the initiative.
He revealed that Bauchi became the first state to benefit from the programme after fulfilling all the technical and operational requirements for its implementation.
Dr. Dambam assured stakeholders that the state government remains committed to sustaining the programme and would work towards expanding rehabilitation services to more Primary Healthcare Centres across the state, ensuring that more residents, especially persons with disabilities in rural communities, benefit from the intervention.
Similarly, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, described the launch as a historic achievement for the state’s healthcare system.
He observed that persons with disabilities have for many years faced enormous barriers in accessing rehabilitation and other essential healthcare services due to the concentration of specialised care in urban centres.
According to him, integrating rehabilitation into Primary Healthcare will bridge existing healthcare gaps and ensure that services become more accessible, affordable and community-based.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Medical Rehabilitation (FEPDMR), Dr. James Lado, described the initiative as a timely intervention that would transform healthcare delivery for persons with disabilities across Nigeria.
He noted that countless persons with disabilities, particularly those living in rural communities, have been denied access to rehabilitation services because of stigma, discrimination, inadequate infrastructure and the limited availability of specialised healthcare professionals.
Dr. Lado said bringing rehabilitation services to community-level healthcare facilities would not only improve health outcomes but also promote dignity, independence and social inclusion for persons with disabilities.
He reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting government efforts aimed at strengthening rehabilitation services and ensuring that no Nigerian is denied access to quality healthcare because of disability or geographical location.
The launch of the Integrated Rehabilitation Services in Primary Healthcare Centres is widely regarded as a major breakthrough in Nigeria’s disability-inclusive healthcare agenda. Stakeholders believe the initiative has the potential to transform the lives of millions of Nigerians by decentralising rehabilitation services, reducing healthcare inequalities, and ensuring that quality rehabilitation becomes an integral part of Primary Healthcare delivery nationwide.
For many persons with disabilities and their families, particularly those in rural communities, the programme offers renewed hope that life-changing rehabilitation services will no longer remain a distant privilege but a readily accessible component of everyday healthcare.
