More than 30 countries participated in the Virtual Regional Rehabilitation Meeting on November 18 and 19.
Washington, D.C., November 25, 2025 – To support the implementation of national rehabilitation plans and promote existing resources and tools to improve the accessibility and quality of these services, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) organized the Virtual Regional Rehabilitation Meeting on November 18 and 19, 2025.
The meeting included representatives from more than 30 countries in the Americas, including rehabilitation focal points from Ministries of Health, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and representatives from academia, among others.
During these two days, the state of rehabilitation in the Region was analyzed, and strategies to strengthen services were presented, identifying challenges and opportunities to support the implementation of national rehabilitation plans.
It is estimated that one in three people in the Americas, more than 220 million individuals, have a health condition that could benefit from rehabilitation. Access to rehabilitation is an investment in well-being, personal and family stability, participation, and social inclusion. Therefore, without rehabilitation, the population experiences disability, stress, poverty, social exclusion, and consequently, worse health outcomes.
During the meeting, international experts presented tools and technical resources available to countries to support their efforts to integrate rehabilitation services into health plans, making them more accessible, affordable, and resilient. Best practices from the Bahamas and Uruguay were also shared, along with interventions from collaborating centers on chronic pain management (IDRR-Ontario Tech University) and speech-language pathology, thanks to ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association).
Furthermore, knowledge, best practices, and common challenges were shared, such as the need to improve the visibility of rehabilitation within health plans, its funding, and the lack of training for professionals.
Despite the work done, the Region still faces significant challenges in ensuring universal access to rehabilitation services, with a particular focus on primary care as the most appropriate cost-effective strategy for accessing health services.
PAHO is committed to supporting member countries in addressing current needs to strengthen rehabilitation and ensure health outcomes that improve the quality of life for people in the Region of the Americas.
