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Pictured: a group photo of participants at the GReAT Consultation in Geneva
The resolution WHA71.8 - Improving access to assistive technology calls upon WHO to prepare a global report on effective access to assistive technology by 2021.The GReAT Consultation was held in Geneva on 22 and 23 August 2019 and served as a first Global Consultation to inform the development of the Global Report. The event was attended by over 260 participants from over 60 countries. In addition, people from around the world followed the live streaming.
The Consultation was opened by Her Excellency, the Honourable First Lady of Pakistan Begum Samina Alvi, who highlighted the importance of investment in the health sector and the key role of assistive technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Consultation successfully delivered on its objectives to showcase existing evidence and good practices with regards to data on needs and supply, policies and programmes, investment and financing mechanisms, procurement, service delivery, capacity building and innovation. The strong enthusiasm of the participants and their commitment to improving access to assistive technology emerged in the speeches, presentations, discussions, e-posters and informal chats during the 2-day programme.
Links to the live streaming, the final programme of the Consultation and a group picture are available on the GReAT Consultation webpage. A meeting report and the eProceedings will soon be published on this page.
The GReAT Consultation in Geneva will soon be followed by a series of regional consultations in 2020.
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Pictured: a group photo of the Advisory Group
Prior to the Consultation, on 21 August, the first face-to-face meeting of the Advisory Group of Experts on Assistive Technology was held in Geneva, at WHO headquarters and attended by 17 of its Members. The Advisory Group was convened to provide high-level advice and oversight to the development of the Global Report, in particular towards strategic priorities in research and innovation, methods to assess current and future need of AT, methods for evidence review of best practice as well as development of recommendations. The full list of members of the Advisory Group can be found here.
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A side-event dedicated to access to assistive technology in the framework of Universal Health Coverage was held on August 22, during the Sixty-ninth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa. During the event, results from an online survey capturing challenges related to AT procurement, provision and workforce in the African Region were discussed. The side-event provided an opportunity to enhance international coordination, build political commitment and consolidate global, regional and national efforts in improving access to assistive technology. A call was made by the Ministers of Health for the development and implementation of a regional strategy on AT. WHO will respond to this call by convening an African regional AT consultation in 2020.
Pictured: a flyer of the side-event
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TAP is an open access online learning platform, aimed at equipping primary health care and other community-level personnel to provide a range of basic assistive products.
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) pilot was carried out in June 2019 with the purpose of understanding the effectiveness of TAP in supporting knowledge and skill acquisition in basic service provision; effectiveness of the TAP platform; and lessons for TAP implementation.
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Five modules were included in the pilot: Introduction to assistive products; Introduction to vision; Magnifying glasses and telescopes; Reading glasses, and Walking aids. Participants included nurses, community health workers and Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) technicians based at two primary health care (PHC) centres and the National P&O service.
PNG stakeholders affirmed the relevance and appropriateness of vision screening, and provision of vision-related assistive products and walking aids at PHC level. As a direct result of the pilot, one PHC centre has established a service to carry out basic vision screening and provision of reading glasses, as well as provision of walking aids, in collaboration with the National P&O service. A report with lesson learned, findings and recommendations will be published soon.
A report from the first pilot, held in Bangalore in 2018, is available here.
Pictured: a prosthetics and orthotics technician carrying out vision screening. |
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With support from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), WHO has developed an assistive technology capacity assessment (ATA-C) that aims to assess a country’s capacity to finance, procure, and provide assistive technology (AT) in order to appropriately meet the population’s need for AT. The GATE team is providing technical support to the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office to implement the tool in Iraq, Bahrain and Pakistan. With CHAI, the tool is being implemented in eight African countries between August and December this year, within UKAID’s AT2030 programme.
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Pictured: WHO consultant conducting a stakeholder interview with a private supplier of assistive products in Mosul, Iraq.
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Are you a student who is passionate about creating an inclusive world through assistive technology? WHO welcomes eager students as interns, either at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland or in one of its regional or country offices around the world.
Florence Monro, Daniela Moye Holz and Vinicius Delgado Ramos joined the GATE team between June and August 2019. Florence has been a practising nurse in Australia for over 5 years and is currently undertaking her Master’s in public health. Daniela has a master’s in International Health and has recently finished her PhD on Global Health and Access to Innovative Cancer Medicines. Vinicius is a PhD student at the University of Sao Paulo School of Public Health; his current research project uses a systems assessment tool to evaluate access to priority assistive products in Brazil.
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If you are a student in public health, rehabilitation sciences, assistive technology, or international development, and excited by the potential to contribute to WHO’s work on assistive technology, please get in touch with the GATE team at assistivetechnology@who.int. Also visit the WHO website for general information about WHO internships.
Pictured: a group photo with Florence, Daniela and Vinicius |
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AAATE Conference 2019: the 15th AAATE Conference was held on 28-30 August 2019. The newly formalized Global Alliance of Assistive Technology Organizations (GAATO) was announced during the 3-day event. More information can be found on the AAATE Conference website.
Wheelchairs Service Training Package – Intermediate level: the Intermediate Level package is now available in Spanish:
Reference Manual
Trainers Manual
Participants Workbook
Posters
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International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) 17th World Congress: 5-8 October 2019, Kobe, Japan.
The Belt and Road High-level Event on Disability Cooperation: 10-12 October 2019, Beijing, China.
High Level Disability Forum (HLDF) and Assistive Technology Exhibition: 18 October 2019, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
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Equipping, enabling and empowering |
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