On 29 April, the Governments of China and Pakistan, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Secretariat of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (UNIATF), co-hosted a high-level symposium to accelerate global efforts on expanding access to assistive technology and rehabilitation services in humanitarian crises.
The symposium, titled “Ensuring access to assistive technology and rehabilitation services in humanitarian crises,” brought together diplomats, policy-makers and technical experts to address the growing global need for assistive products and rehabilitation, critical services too often overlooked in crisis response.
At the heart of the discussion was a shared recognition: restoring function, independence and dignity for people affected by crisis is not an optional extra – it is an essential health intervention and fundamental human rights imperative.
Opening remarks from H.E. Mr Bilal Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan, and H.E. Mr Xu Chen, Permanent Representative of China, underscored the urgency of strengthening access to assistive products and rehabilitation in emergencies, calling for global collaboration across procurement, service delivery, and policy.
WHO leadership echoed this urgency, emphasizing the life-changing impact of timely access for people affected by conflict, natural hazards and displacement. “Rehabilitation is not a secondary priority – it saves lives, restores dignity and makes recovery possible,” said Dr Michael Ryan, WHO Deputy Director-General and Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, drawing from his frontline experience. Dr Yukiko Nakatani, Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, warned of persistent gaps in access, highlighting the need to strengthen procurement systems and preparedness. “In many fragile settings, assistive technology simply doesn’t arrive. Preparedness must be built in before the next crisis hits,” she said.
WHO technical leads Ms Kylie Shae and Mr Anthony Duttine presented the WHO-UNIATF Call to Action to ensure access to assistive technology and rehabilitation in emergency crises, structured around three strategic pillars:
1. institutional readiness and pre-positioning;
2. country preparedness; and
3. rehabilitation and assistive technology inclusive response.
It outlines a multi-partner approach to embed assistive technology and rehabilitation into health emergency systems, leveraging existing WHO tools, country platforms and interagency mechanisms. Country representatives brought critical on-the-ground insights that grounded the discussion in real-world challenges and needs. Palestine emphasized the dire challenges faced in Gaza, calling for immediate technical support to scale up and sustain assistive technology and rehabilitation services, including human resource strengthening and coordination. Egypt advocated for continued dialogue and sustained knowledge exchange to address implementation challenges. Ethiopia emphasized the importance of strengthening regional production capacity, particularly through South-South collaboration and knowledge transfer. Viet Nam pointed to the fragmented nature of services and called for stronger cross-sector coordination mechanisms. Finland advocated for clearer integration of assistive technology and rehabilitation in preparedness planning, underscoring the need for tailored technical guidance and coherent interagency support.
The symposium concluded with reflections from Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, who shared regional data and a moving story of Mahmoud, a child injured in Gaza. “We were never meant to know Mahmoud, but now the world knows his name, not for what he has done, but for what has been done to him,” she said. Dr Balkhy reaffirmed the need to operationalize the three pillars – readiness, preparedness and rapid response – and called on partners to scale up access where systems are weakest and needs are greatest.
As humanitarian needs continue to rise globally, the symposium marked a pivotal moment in advancing inclusive, equitable and effective health responses, ensuring that assistive technology and rehabilitation are recognized as integral components of emergency response and universal health coverage.
Held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the event convened more than 80 high-level participants, including Permanent Representatives from 15 Member State Missions, delegations from over 20 additional Member States and numerous UN agencies, international organizations and NGOs, highlighting the global significance and cross-sectoral relevance of the issue.
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