Date: Tuesday 4 Nov. 2025

Topic WRA SESSION
Speakers WHO Health Financing Expert, WHO Regional Representative, Rehabilitation Advocate with Lived Experience, Abderrazak Hajjioui Morocco, WHO/WRA Representative

As the global community pushes toward the 2030 targets for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), rehabilitation remains one of the most overlooked elements in health systems. Yet one in three people globally need it—and only half have access. Without rehabilitation, the UHC promise remains incomplete.
This session, co-organized by the World Rehabilitation Alliance (WRA), WHO, and ISPRM, will explore current gaps in rehabilitation policy, financing, and delivery, and provide a clear case for why rehabilitation must be integrated into national health benefits packages and UHC monitoring frameworks. With global, regional, and user perspectives, this session will bridge policy discourse with lived experience, and provide actionable recommendations for health system planners and rehabilitation professionals.
Drawing on recent WHO resolutions and upcoming advocacy toward the 2027 UN High-Level Meeting on UHC, this session aims to position rehabilitation as a non-negotiable component of equitable, resilient health systems.

Chairs ISPRM president, WHO/WRA Representative, Governmental representative

15H Why Rehabilitation is the Missing Link in UHC Delivery. Amy Jo Collins

15H20 Regional Perspectives: Rehabilitation Gaps and Opportunities in UHC Frameworks. WHO Regional Representative

15H40 Rehabilitation and Financial Protection: Tackling Out-of-Pocket Barriers. WHO Health Financing Expert

16H The Lived Experience: What UHC Means for People Who Need Rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Advocate with Lived Experience

16H20 Charting the Way Forward: Policy Priorities for ISPRM and WRA. Abderrazak Hajjioui