Advancing Academic Capacity in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to Strengthen Rehabilitation in Health Systems Worldwide

Abstract

The articles are identical except for stylistic changes in keeping with each journal's style. Either version may be used in citing this article.functioning in people with acute and chronic conditions and aging-"adding life to years."According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) global estimates of the need for rehabilitation based on the global burden of diseases study of 2019, 3 2.41 billion individuals live with conditions that can benefit from an improvement in functioning by means of rehabilitation. To address the universal need for rehabilitation for people living with functioning limitations, the WHO in 2017 launched the call for action Rehabilitation 2030. Keys to the successful strengthening of rehabilitation in health systems worldwide are (1) the mainstreaming of rehabilitation as a public health strategy under universal health coverage, (2) the integration of systematically collected functioning information into health information systems, and (3) the demonstration of the social return on investment of rehabilitation. 4 The European Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (EARM) has recently discussed the implications of the emergence of rehabilitation as a public health strategy at center stage for shaping the health systems of the 21st century. 5 This included a recognition of the need to "think outside of the box" of our medical specialty and engage in health systems thinking. Toward this