Abstract

Objectives: Despite a high prevalence of individuals living with disabilities in the Dominican Republic (DR), the availability of rehabilitation services remains critically low. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Rehabilitation 2030 initiative highlights the importance of strengthening global healthcare systems to provide essential rehabilitation services. In this article, we describe the current healthcare system in the DR and the need for a country-wide rehabilitation plan, guided by WHO’s Rehabilitation 2030.

Materials and methods: A systematic search was conducted using a combination of controlled vocabulary and natural language keywords across electronic databases to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies. Data extraction from eligible studies was then performed to summarize and organize findings according to the topic. We also examined the most recent country-wide population/census data for relevant information.

Results: A 2021 population survey in the DR revealed that 7.3% of the population over the age of five lived with some type of disability. The leading causes of death and disability combined in the DR include ischemic heart disease, stroke and road injuries.

Conclusion: Globally, there is a significant need for rehabilitation to meet the needs of those living with disabilities in communities where these services are scarce or non-existent. The WHO Rehabilitation 2030 initiative emphasizes three missives as an approach to global rehabilitation which can be systematically applied to address rehabilitation gaps in the healthcare system of the DR.

Citation:
Pullen S, Bell R, Ma I, Timbie S. Improving Rehabilitation Access in the Dominican Republic: A Bridge to the World Health Organization’s Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative. Arch ISPRM 2026;1(1):41-48. https://doi.org/10.5606/archisprm.2026.27.

S.P., R.B.: Idea/concept, design, control/supervision, critical review, references and fundings; S.P., R.B., S.T., I.M.: Data collection and/or processing, analysis and/or interpretation, literature review, writing the article, materials

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not‑for‑profit sectors.

Data Availability
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

AI Disclosure
The authors declare that artificial intelligence (AI) tools were not used, or were used solely for language editing, and had no role in data analysis, interpretation, or the formulation of conclusions. All scientific content, data interpretation, and conclusions are the sole responsibility of the authors. The authors further confirm that AI tools were not used to generate, fabricate, or ‘hallucinate’ references, and that all references have been carefully verified for accuracy.