Nepal has taken an important step towards strengthening rehabilitation services with the release of its National Health Rehabilitation Strategic Action Plan, a new framework intended to improve access to timely, equitable and person-centred rehabilitation care.
Shared by rehabilitation and disability-inclusive health professional Nistha Shrestha, the plan reflects Nepal’s growing commitment to embedding rehabilitation within the wider health system, rather than treating it as a separate or specialist-only service. The announcement highlights a national focus on improving service delivery, supporting people with rehabilitation needs and advancing access to quality health services across the country.
The action plan builds on several years of policy development in Nepal. Rehabilitation has already been recognised in national health planning, including Nepal’s wider health sector strategy, which sets out goals around equitable access, quality services and stronger health system responsiveness. Nepal’s Health Sector Strategic Plan 2023–2030 includes objectives linked to health system efficiency, social protection, quality improvement and reducing inequity in health services.
For prosthetists, orthotists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation physicians, occupational therapists and assistive technology providers, the new action plan is likely to be a key reference point for future service development. Nepal’s earlier rehabilitation situation assessment identified prosthetics and orthotics as part of the country’s rehabilitation needs, with common client groups including people with amputations, clubfoot and scoliosis.
The same assessment noted that Nepal had already begun strengthening rehabilitation governance, with rehabilitation increasingly reflected in policy documents such as the National Health Policy 2019, Public Health Service Act 2018 and Nepal Health Sector Strategy. It also identified the need for clearer planning, better data, workforce strengthening and improved access to services across different levels of care.
Recent research on physiotherapy services in Nepal has also pointed to continuing challenges in equitable access, especially in underserved areas. A 2024 study described physiotherapy as a growing profession in Nepal, while also noting gaps in service availability, workforce distribution and implementation between policy and practice.
The National Health Rehabilitation Strategic Action Plan therefore arrives at an important time. Across South Asia, rehabilitation demand is increasing due to trauma, non-communicable diseases, ageing populations, neurological conditions, childhood disability, musculoskeletal conditions and disability-related needs. For Nepal, with its varied geography and rural populations, integration of rehabilitation into primary, secondary and tertiary health services will be central to making care more accessible.
A stronger national rehabilitation framework may also support better coordination between government services, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, professional associations, NGOs and development partners. This is particularly relevant for prosthetics and orthotics, where service availability depends not only on clinical expertise, but also on referral pathways, component supply, assistive product access, funding mechanisms and long-term follow-up.
The emphasis on person-centred care is also significant. Rehabilitation is most effective when services are designed around the individual’s goals, environment, mobility needs, family support and social participation. For people requiring orthotic, prosthetic or assistive technology services, this means moving beyond device provision alone and ensuring assessment, fitting, training, repair, replacement and outcome monitoring are part of the care pathway.
Implementation will now be the critical phase. The plan’s success will depend on how effectively it is translated into budgets, workforce development, service standards, referral systems and measurable indicators. Nepal’s previous rehabilitation assessment highlighted the importance of using baseline information to track progress in rehabilitation and assistive technology planning.
For the wider rehabilitation community across the IMEA region, Nepal’s strategic action plan is a useful example of how rehabilitation can be positioned within national health system strengthening. As more countries move towards universal health coverage, rehabilitation needs to be planned, financed and delivered as an essential part of healthcare.
Nistha Shrestha’s announcement also recognises the collaborative work behind the plan, thanking contributors for their expertise and partnership. That collaboration will remain essential as Nepal moves from strategy to implementation and works to ensure that people with rehabilitation needs can access quality care when and where they need it.