For persons with disabilities, rehabilitation care to improve or restore mobility and communication capabilities is a vital part of interdisciplinary treatment. Therefore, improving and increasing access to rehabilitation care has been a priority for USAID/Vietnam for the past five years. To ensure hospitals have access to the most current research and best practices, USAID’s Advancing Medical Care and Rehabilitation Education project supported the translation and validation of several assessment tools that rehabilitation practitioners in Vietnam can apply to improve the impact of rehabilitation intervention with their patients and refocus the treatment on the outcomes on daily life functions, independent living and social participation. These tools have recently been adopted in six large hospitals in Vietnam, with plans for expansion to several more, as well as continuing medical education workshops.
USAID has been a leader in reforming the rehabilitation sector in Vietnam. Its programs have helped tens of thousands persons restore/regain their independence and daily life functions, overcome economic losses due to disabilities, and become productive members of their communities.
