The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has officially commenced the nationwide rollout of integrated rehabilitation services across Primary Health Care @(PHC) centres in a major healthcare reform designed to bring essential rehabilitation services closer to communities across Nigeria.

The initiative, inaugurated at the Doya Primary Health Care Centre in Bauchi State, will provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology and other rehabilitation services at the community level. According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria, the programme is expected to improve access to care for persons living with disabilities, older adults, trauma survivors, individuals with non-communicable diseases and others requiring long-term functional support.

Speaking during the national launch, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, described the initiative as a significant step toward strengthening primary healthcare and advancing Universal Health Coverage under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Represented by his Special Adviser, Dr. Baba Suleiman, Pate explained that integrating rehabilitation into PHCs would decentralise services that had previously been concentrated in secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, making them available to communities nationwide.

“Today’s launch is not the end of a process; it is the beginning of a national transformation,” the minister said.

He added, “The integration of rehabilitation into Primary Health Care is not simply another programme of government; it is a strategic national investment in human capital development, Universal Health Coverage and sustainable national development.”

According to Pate, the initiative complements the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, through which the Federal Government is improving health infrastructure, strengthening governance, expanding the healthcare workforce and delivering quality healthcare closer to Nigerians.

He disclosed that the Federal Government had approved the implementation of the World Health Organisation’s Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative in Nigeria and inaugurated the National Rehabilitation Technical Working Group in November 2024 to coordinate its implementation.

The minister stated that the committee has completed a National Rehabilitation Situation Assessment and is finalising the National Rehabilitation Policy, National Strategic Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to guide nationwide implementation.

Pate also announced the approval of a National Minimum Benchmark Framework that will standardise rehabilitation services and workforce requirements across Primary Health Care centres nationwide.

Despite the progress, he warned that Nigeria currently faces a significant shortage of rehabilitation professionals needed to support the programme.

According to him, the country has approximately 34,000 PHCs but only about 5,000 licensed physiotherapists, alongside shortages in other rehabilitation professions.

“Nigeria currently has approximately 34,000 primary healthcare centres, yet we have only about 5,000 licensed physiotherapists.

“This workforce is clearly insufficient to support the nationwide integration of rehabilitation services into Primary Health Care,” he said.

The minister urged the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria to review its regulatory framework and adopt innovative strategies that would increase training opportunities while maintaining professional standards.

He further revealed that the Federal Government is seeking additional funding to replicate the Doya rehabilitation model in PHCs across the country.

“In addition, the ministry is advancing the integration of rehabilitation services and rehabilitation-related assistive products into the National Health Insurance Authority framework to reduce the financial burden and out-of-pocket expenditure currently faced by Nigerians requiring rehabilitation services,” he said.

Earlier, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria, Prof. Yusuf Ahmad, described the launch as a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s healthcare system.

He noted that rehabilitation services had remained largely limited to secondary and tertiary hospitals for more than six decades, restricting access for many residents of rural communities.

“Today’s launch represents the fulfilment of years of advocacy, collaboration and policy development,” Ahmad said.

He added that the board has digitised its regulatory processes, reviewed professional guidelines and strengthened accreditation systems to support the nationwide expansion of rehabilitation services.

Ahmad assured the Federal Government of the board’s continued commitment to providing effective regulatory leadership that would guarantee safe, ethical and quality rehabilitation services across Nigeria.

He also called on physiotherapists, occupational therapists, prosthetists and orthotists, speech and language therapists, audiologists and other rehabilitation professionals to collaborate in ensuring the success of the initiative.

“No single profession can achieve this vision alone,” he said.

One of the highlights of the launch was the donation of rehabilitation equipment and materials by the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Medical Rehabilitation.

The foundation’s Chairman, Dr. James Lalu, also announced the sponsorship of the salary of a physiotherapist for one year to provide rehabilitation services at the Doya Primary Health Care Centre.

The event attracted officials of the Bauchi State Government, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), development partners, professional associations, organisations of persons with disabilities and traditional leaders.

Following the launch, residents of Doya and neighbouring communities can now access physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology, prosthetics and orthotics services directly at their Primary Health Care Centre.

The nationwide rollout forms part of Nigeria’s implementation of the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative, a global strategy aimed at making rehabilitation an essential component of Universal Health Coverage.

It also aligns with the Federal Government’s Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which seeks to strengthen primary healthcare, improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities in access to essential healthcare services.

According to the WHO, more than 210 million people across Africa require rehabilitation services, while over 63 per cent of those in need are unable to access them, underscoring the importance of expanding community-based rehabilitation across the continent.

source: Punch