Persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Bauchi State, particularly those living in rural communities, are set to enjoy easier access to essential rehabilitation and medical services following the Federal Government’s launch of Integrated Rehabilitation Services in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Nigeria.
The initiative, unveiled yesterday at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Doya, Bauchi local government area of Bauchi State, is a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Medical Rehabilitation (FEPDMR).
The programme seeks to integrate rehabilitation services into Primary Healthcare, enabling persons with disabilities and others requiring rehabilitation to access specialised care at health facilities closest to their communities.
Under the initiative, beneficiaries will receive physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology, prosthetic and orthotic services at designated PHCs nationwide.
Speaking at the launch, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, described the programme as a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive to build an inclusive, equitable and resilient healthcare system.
Represented by Hon. Baba Abubakar, the minister said integrating rehabilitation into Primary Healthcare would ensure that persons with disabilities, older persons, trauma survivors, people living with non-communicable diseases and others with functional limitations have access to quality healthcare services.
He said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on strengthening Primary Healthcare, expanding access to quality services, promoting social inclusion and protecting vulnerable populations.
According to him, the programme also complements the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which is repositioning the country’s health sector through improved governance, infrastructure, workforce development and quality healthcare delivery.
Pate described rehabilitation as a strategic investment in human capital development, Universal Health Coverage and sustainable national development.
He noted that the World Health Organisation’s Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative has placed rehabilitation at the centre of global public health due to the rising burden of disability, injuries, ageing and non-communicable diseases.
The minister said Nigeria had embraced the 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 key national policies and implementation frameworks.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had also approved the National Minimum Benchmark Framework for integrating rehabilitation services and workforce requirements into Primary Healthcare across the country.
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 supporting the initiative.
He particularly praised the foundation for equipping the Doya Primary Healthcare Centre with rehabilitation equipment, describing the intervention as a model of successful public-private partnership in healthcare delivery.
In his remarks, Bauchi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam, said Bauchi became the first state to benefit from the initiative after meeting all the requirements for its implementation, assuring that the state government would support the programme by expanding rehabilitation services to additional health facilities across the state.
Also, the executive chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, applauded the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for selecting Bauchi to host the pilot programme, noting that persons with disabilities had long been underserved in accessing rehabilitation and other essential healthcare services.
National chairman of the foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Medical Rehabilitation, Dr James Lado, described the initiative as a timely intervention that would improve access to rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, especially those in rural communities.
He noted that stigma, discrimination and limited access to specialised care had denied many persons with disabilities the healthcare they deserved.
