WHO wheelchair provision guidelines set an aspirational standard for assistive technology service delivery
Abstract
In April 2023, at the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics World Congress in Mexico, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched new Wheelchair Provision Guidelines (World Health Organization, 2023). These Guidelines, developed partly in response to World Health Assembly Resolution 71.8 (World Health Assembly, 2018), are meant to provide national governments, implementers, and advocates with an understanding of those principles and concepts which should be present in equitable and effective wheelchair service delivery systems. We were fortunate to have front seats in the development of these Guidelines as a member of the Guideline Development Group and as an observer representing the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals, respectively. While the process of guideline development is not without its challenges, particularly considering interventions as complex as wheelchair provision, and with a relative paucity of robust evidence, ultimately the document represents the best available evidence in the area of wheelchair service provision. Where evidence is lacking or needs further development, the experience of global experts in the area guides the recommendations. Making recommendations which can apply equally across lowand high-income contexts, including different cultures and health systems, is difficult, and there will certainly be critics who feel the recommendations do not go far enough, or are not specific enough. However, they represent a…
Read the paper
Related studies
- In silico strategies for modeling RNA aptamers and predicting binding sites of their molecular targets
- Folic acid-hydrophilic polymer coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles target doxorubicin delivery
- Anti-phytopathogenic and plant growth promoting potential of endophytic fungi isolated from Dysoxylum gotadhora
- Mercury toxicity causes iron and sulfur deficiencies along with oxidative injuries in alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
- Suppression of lncRNA GAS6-AS2 alleviates sepsis-related acute kidney injury through regulating the miR-136-5p/OXSR1 axis in vitro and in vivo
- Assessing the Protective Effect of Moringa oleifera Extract against Bone Metastasis: An In Vitro Simulated Digestion Approach
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.