Date: Tuesday 4 Nov. 2025

Topic community
Speakers Sara Skalli Morocco, Rihab Moncer Tunisia, Sana Salah Tunisia, Zohra Ben Salah Frih Tunisia, Gül Mete Civelek Türkiye

Rehabilitation in Africa faces unique challenges that require innovative, inclusive, and context-specific solutions. Access to inpatient rehabilitation remains limited in North Africa due to bed shortages, referral inefficiencies, and economic constraints, with Morocco and Tunisia illustrating both shared obstacles and differing organizational pathways. At the same time, peer support and patient partnerships emerge as powerful, cost-effective strategies to complement professional care, enhance patient engagement, and foster community participation, with successful initiatives already demonstrating their impact in various African contexts. In parallel, pain management after spinal cord injury highlights the urgent need for adapted rehabilitation strategies in low- and middle-income settings, where both neuropathic and nociceptive pain significantly impair quality of life. Addressing these interconnected issues—from structural access to patient-centered partnerships and innovative pain management—provides a comprehensive framework to advance rehabilitation across the continent. This session brings together diverse perspectives and practical approaches, aiming to identify actionable strategies that strengthen rehabilitation systems, improve equity, and enhance patient outcomes in Africa and beyond.

Chairs Sara Skalli, Sana Salah, Gül Mete Civelek

11H LECTURE ID 36 Optimizing Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities in North Africa. Sara Skalli, Rihab Moncer

11H20 LECTURE ID 92 Revolutionizing Care in Africa: Harnessing Peer Support and Patient Partnerships. Sana Salah, Zohra Ben Salah Frih

11H40 LECTURE ID 124 Pain After Spinal Cord Injury: Global Perspectives and Solutions for Africa. Gül Mete Civelek