Situation analysis of rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in Bangladesh: identifying service gaps and scopes for improvement

A critical shortage and uneven distribution of the rehabilitation workforce are evident, indicating a likelihood of very high unmet rehabilitation needs in Bangladesh. To strengthen the rehabilitation capacity of Bangladesh, rehabilitation services should be integrated into mainstream health policies and programs with a special focus on the rehabilitation workforce training, recruitment and distribution, and allocation of resources.Implications for rehabilitationRehabilitation services in Bangladesh are mostly provided by the private sector, although the government of Bangladesh operates a small number of rehabilitation services outside of the mainstream public health service delivery system.Rehabilitation services are lacking in the primary and secondary health facilities, while services at tertiary level public hospitals are mainly provided by medical technologists in the absence of a qualified rehabilitation workforce.A severe shortage of rehabilitation workforce coupled with an uneven distribution of the existing limited number of rehabilitation services and out-of-pocket expenditures might result in inadequate access and poor rehabilitation service uptake amongst persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Bangladesh.Robust governance and leadership are needed to monitor the implementation of existing legislations and policies and develop strategies to improve the situation of rehabilitation services for PwDs in Bangladesh.