Useful links
Providing support to the WHO by collecting country and regional information on rehabilitation in universal health coverage (UHC) and in primary health care (PHC). (In Progress)
WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems
Building capacity for rehabilitation in health systems
As a designated collaborating centre of the World Health Organization, we support the implementation of the Western Pacific Regional Framework on Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation 2030: A Call for Action.
About us
Located within the University of Sydney Faculty of of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, we bring together expertise from a range of disciplines and research areas to actively contribute to the challenges presented by the World Report on Disability (World Health Organization and the World Bank, 2011).
Formerly known as the WHO Collaborating Centre in Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long Term Care, we received official re-designation in June 2018 with a new title - WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems. We received further official re-designation in February 2023.
This follows eight years of successful achievements in capacity building and contributing to research and evidence in rehabilitation and long term care service provision. The re-designated centre's four-year work plan will support implementation of the Western Pacific Regional Framework on Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation 2030: A Call for Action.
Our work
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Providing support to the WHO by supporting implementation and evaluating rehabilitation resources and training to facilitate task sharing with primary health care workers.
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Providing technical input to support WHO’s activities with selected countries in WPR towards conducting national rehabilitation situation assessments, developing national strategic plans and monitoring framework and supporting its implementation.
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Supporting WHO in building capacity and expertise in health and functioning and disability data sets and data standards for administrative, clinical, educational and research purposes for rehabilitation, disability and health personnel.
Our projects
Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness Planning Resource for COVID-19
People with disability are more likely to die from the novel coronavirus – but we can reduce this risk
Working with Pacific Disability Forum our Collaborating Centre is adapting the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness Planning Resource for COVID-19 for the Pacific with support from WHO Western Pacific Region.
View the Queensland Planning Resources or contact Associate Professor Michelle Villeneuve for further information on this project.
Reports prepared by WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems
2020
- Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation in Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Marshall Islands, February 2020 - Please contact Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn for details at gwynnyth.llewellyn@sydney.edu.au
2019
- Development of National Rehabilitation Strategic Plan in Mongolia, July 2019 –Please contact Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn for details at gwynnyth.llewellyn@sydney.edu.au
2018
- Community Based Inclusion - The Pacific Way, Everyday Empowerment Stories: Final Report 28 February 2018. Dr. Michelle Villeneuve (University of Sydney), Dr. Michael Millington (University of Sydney), Ms. Maria Waloki (Fiji National University) and Goretti Pala (Solomon Islands National University), WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney (18 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 905.5KB)
- Rehabilitation Resources for Micronesia, November 2016 – April 2018. Professor Stephanie Short, Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn and Alexandra Lewis-Gargett, WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney (42 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 1.4MB)
- Building capacity in health-related rehabilitation services for health emergency responses, December 2016 – December 2018. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn and Ms Alexandra Lewis-Gargett, WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney (98 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 1.1MB)
2017
- CBR Practice and Education, the Pacific Way: Desk Review 16 November 2017. Dr. Michael Millington (University of Sydney), Michelle Villeneuve (University of Sydney), Ms. Maria Waloki (Fiji National University) and Goretti Pala (Solomon Islands National University), WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney (63 pages).
Download publication (pdf, 1.2MB)
- Community Based Inclusion - The Pacific Way, Everyday Empowerment Stories: Final Report 28 February 2018. Dr. Michelle Villeneuve (University of Sydney), Dr. Michael Millington (University of Sydney), Ms. Maria Waloki (Fiji National University) and Goretti Pala (Solomon Islands National University), WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney (18 pages)
- ICF Training Workshop, Solomon Islands, October 2017 Report to WHO WPRO and Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Solomon Islands. Dr Rosamond Madden, Honorary Research Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (11 pages)
2016
- CBR Field Worker Manual: Update Scoping Report for WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, March, 2016. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, WHO Collaborating Centre in Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long Term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (25 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 645KB)
2015
- Capacity Assessment and Development of Plan to Increase Capacity of Laos Rehabilitation Workforce, June 2015. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, WHO Collaborating Centre in Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long Term Care, University of Sydney. (67 pages)
- Review of Diploma of Community Based Rehabilitation at Solomon Islands National University, December, 2015. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn and Alexandra Lewis-Gargett, WHO Collaborating Centre in Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long Term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (57 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 773KB)
- CBR Field Worker Manual: Scoping Report for WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, December 2015. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, WHO Collaborating Centre in Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long Term Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (57 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 428KB)
2014
- Analysis of Community Rehabilitation Assistant Program (CRA) in Fiji, Suva Fiji, July-August 2014. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (62 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 1.5MB)
2013
- Rehabilitation Sector Situation Analysis Report, Lao PDR, April- May 2013. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (41 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 1.2MB)
- Developing the WPR Disability Inclusive Health and Rehabilitation Tool, Technical Report, November 2013. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (28 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 1.3MB)
- ICF education and use in Mongolia: Report on training and workshops, November 2013. Ros Madden, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (25 pages).
Download publication (pdf, 752KB)
2012
- The Pacific Rehabilitation Health Workforce, WHO Discussion Paper Series Paper No. 1, October 2012. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Alexandra Gargett, Professor Stephanie Short. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (44 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 380KB)
- The Pacific Rehabilitation Health Workforce, WHO Discussion Paper Series Paper No. 1 (Supplement), Country Profiles, October 2012. Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn, Alexandra Gargett, Professor Stephanie Short, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. (74 pages)
Download publication (pdf, 443KB)
World Rehabilitation Alliance
“The World Rehabilitation Alliance (WRA) is a WHO global network of stakeholders whose mission is to support the implementation of the Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative through advocacy activities. It focuses on promoting rehabilitation as an essential health service that is integral to Universal Health Coverage and to the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”
The WHOCC- Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems was accepted as a member of the WRA in November 2022. We have committed to participation in four workstreams:
Resources
In an historic move, the 67th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution endorsing the WHO global disability action plan 2014–2021: Better health for all people with disability. The Action Plan will provide a major boost to WHO and governments’ efforts to enhance the quality of life of the one billion people around the world with disabilities.
Thanks to the cooperation of Emory School of Medicine, you can now view their journal Rehab in Review online. The journal provides concise readable summaries of current, pertinent articles from 70 distinguished journals. The journal is available in three languages: Chinese, English and Spanish.
In July 2019, the WHO released Rehabilitation in Health Systems Guide for Action, a practical guide which aims to strengthen rehabilitation in health systems within countries working with Ministries of Health.
The guide is organised around four phases with guidance available for each. The strengthening rehabilitation process begins with assessing the situation, developing a rehabilitation strategic plan at national level, establishing monitoring, evaluation, and review processes, and, implementing the strategic plan.
This Guide for Action assists countries and rehabilitation services worldwide to work towards achieving the recommendations and good practice statements included in Rehabilitation in Health Systems (WHO, 2017).
In February 2017, WHO released Rehabilitation in Health Systems as part of the Rehabilitation 2030. A Call for Action. This document provides evidence-based, expert-informed recommendations and good practice statements to support health systems and stakeholders in strengthening and extending high-quality rehabilitation services so that they can better respond to the needs of populations.
The recommendations were made in accordance with the standards and procedures outlined in the WHO Handbook for Guideline Development, 2nded. (WHO, 2014).
Our people
- Professor Emerita Gwynnyth Llewellyn – Co-Head of Centre
- Dr Kim Bulkeley – Co-Head of Centre
- Professor Richard Madden
- Professor Stephanie Short
- Associate Professor Michelle Villeneuve
- Professor Jennifer Smith Merry
- Alexandra Lewis-Gargett
- Dr Jodie Baillie
- Dr Julie Gordon
- Dr Glenda Jessup
- Jo Lewis
- Associate Professor Margaret McGrath
- Dr Ros Madden AM, Honorary Senior Research Fellow
- Dr Rebecca Barton
- Catherine Sykes, Honorary Senior Research Fellow
- Associate Professor Leigh Wilson
