SI-Promoting health equality: Interprofessional Telerehabilitation for Persons With Disabilities in the Philippines

PH2023SIN393B135 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2025 This project aims to pave the way for effective interprofessional telerehabilitation for adult Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Philippine remote areas by empowering both local stakeholders and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Santo Tomas (UST-CRS), through a multi-HEI partnership of Thomas More and KU Leuven. By determining (so far) unidentified disability profiles of adult PWDs living in Binangonan’s 17 Island barangays (= villages or the smallest administrative division) and exploring facilitators/barriers to implementing and using telerehabilitation services, this project seeks to contribute to the quality of life of adult PWDs and promote their inclusion towards building inclusive communities in the Philippines with enhanced resilience. The project's added value lies in providing UST-CRS with the necessary expertise to conduct high-quality research on telerehabilitation and integrate it into its education and community work. This will enable UST-CRS to develop effective interventions for PWDs, informed by evidence-based research, and, become a driver of change in the community. The project also provides capacity-building opportunities for Binangonan’ s local policy and societal stakeholders, enabling them to support and provide effective telerehabilitation services and take up their leadership role in the community. The project's proof of concept in the Municipality of Binangonan will initiate sustainable upscaling mechanisms to enhance uptake in other remote areas in the Philippines. From a sustainable development context, the project aligns with the UN's SDGs, particularly SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), since the project addresses the lack of essential data on disabilities and provides support for PWDs. Additionally, by building the capacity of UST-CRS and local partners, the project will directly contribute to SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).