Building Strong Leadership & Increasing Political Support for Rehabilitation

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There is a lot of work to be done to develop strong leadership in Tanzania. We need to advocate for the necessity of rehabilitation, identify leadership potential, and provide mentorship. We should also encourage more involvement of medical professionals in politics and ensure they are prepared and willing to implement and change the rehabilitation system.

[Hoeung HEAM “[email protected]”]

Current Work:
Considering the longstanding governance of rehabilitation by the Ministry of Social Affairs Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) since the 1990s, the government issued a directive in 2022 to transfer these services to the Ministry of Health (MoH). The directive tasked the two ministries with discussing and deciding which aspects of rehabilitation to transfer. However, nearly two years have passed without consensus or finalization, indicating MoSVY’s reluctance to cede control to MoH. Civil society organizations are actively engaging stakeholders to urge both ministries to expedite their decisions and actions.

Numerous consultative workshops and analyses have been conducted to outline the opportunities and priorities for transferring rehabilitation services within the country, guided by the WHO’s Framework for Action. A proposed initial step involves initiating a pilot project that includes three of the eleven rehabilitation centers located within provincial hospitals, transitioning them from MoSVY to MoH oversight.

To be aligned with the WHO’s Call For Action, the following should be done:

Building strong leadership and increasing political support for rehabilitation in my country can be achieved through various strategies. Firstly, it is crucial to engage with key stakeholders, including government officials, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and civil society organizations, to raise awareness about the importance of rehabilitation and its impact on individuals and society as a whole. This can be done through advocacy campaigns, policy dialogues, and educational initiatives.

Additionally, creating a multi-sectoral task force or committee dedicated to rehabilitation services can help coordinate efforts, set priorities, and drive forward the agenda for improving rehabilitation services. This task force can work closely with the Ministry of Health and other relevant ministries to ensure a coordinated and collaborative approach to the transfer of rehabilitation services.

Furthermore, investing in capacity building and training programs for healthcare professionals in the field of rehabilitation can help build a skilled workforce and ensure high-quality services are provided to those in need. This can also help demonstrate the value of rehabilitation services and garner support from political leaders and decision-makers.

Overall, building strong leadership and increasing political support for rehabilitation in my country will require a concerted effort from all stakeholders, and a commitment to prioritizing rehabilitation as an essential component of the healthcare system.

[Samuel Lagu]

My country Uganda foremost need to build the capacity of our leaders on rehabilitation. As a Country there are no strong leaders that grounded on issues of rehabilitation. Even our training institutions do not have fully fledged training on rehabilitation. The National leadership training institute we have is for cadre training.

For us to also build strong leadership on rehabilitation we need to have the political will for the course of rehabilitation.

Relatedly we need to also have adequate resources allocated for rehabilitation. Once resources is available building strong leadership on rehabilitation will be possible.

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