Enhancing Rehabilitation Awareness And Understanding Among Health Professionals In Lao PDR

In this paper, research conducted in 2022 on understanding the knowledge, attitude and practices of 483 health professionals on rehabilitation within the healthcare system of Lao PDR is explored and how educational materials and advocacy tools have been developed to enhance awareness and knowledge on rehabilitation. This aims to support clinicians and managers to increase the integration of rehabilitation in healthcare planning, expand rehabilitation services and support persons who experience illness, injury or impairment to optimize functioning, maintain health and wellbeing.Lao PDR, with a population exceeding 6.7 million, faces the challenges of non-communicable diseases, road traffic accidents, an aging population, and the persistent threat of Unexploded Ordnances (UxO) from past conflicts. In a resource constrained setting, addressing the growing demand for quality rehabilitation services is challenging especially where healthcare providers and managers lack understanding of rehabilitation and its importance within the healthcare system. The Ministry of Health's National Rehabilitation Strategy (2018-2025) aims to increase awareness among the health workforce about the essential role of rehabilitation in meeting public healthcare needs.