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Dr. Eunice Kombe is a pioneering Prosthetist-Orthotist, educator, and advocate for equitable access to rehabilitation services in Africa. She currently serves as a lecturer at the School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) at KCMC University in Moshi, Tanzania. She holds a Bachelor of Science in P&O from KCMC University and a Master of Science in P&O from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
In 2025, Dr. Kombe became the first person in Tanzania and across the African continent to earn a PhD in Prosthetics and Orthotics, marking a historic milestone for the profession. Her PhD was undertaken at the University of Salford in Manchester, United Kingdom, in collaboration with KCMC University in Tanzania.
Her research focused on access to prosthetic and orthotic services in Tanzania, employing a mixed-methods approach that included a qualitative metasynthesis, secondary analysis of hospital data, and in-depth interviews with clinicians and service users. The study provided a comprehensive understanding of the structural, financial, and socio-cultural barriers faced by individuals in need of assistive technology. Her work not only sheds light on long-standing inequities but also proposes actionable, context-relevant strategies to enhance service delivery, user experience, and health outcomes.
Eunice’s path into the P&O field was deeply personal, inspired by her experience caring for her late father, Dr. Festus Kombe, who suffered a stroke and lived with mobility challenges that required assistive technology. Witnessing firsthand the impact of limited access to appropriate rehabilitation services ignited in her a strong desire to improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Over more than a decade of dedicated service, she has successfully bridged academic, clinical, and entrepreneurial roles.
She is the Founder and Director of Trucare Company Limited, a social enterprise delivering raw materials and components used to fabricate quality prosthetic and orthotic services to underserved populations in Tanzania. Under her leadership, Trucare has grown to become a model for sustainable, community-based rehabilitation service delivery.
She has also played a leading role in research and innovation, including piloting digital prosthetic workflows that aim to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Dr. Kombe has collaborated with several international initiatives, including the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) network and the Afrorehab project, which aim to strengthen rehabilitation systems across the continent.
As part of the Afrorehab community, Dr. Kombe envisions an Africa where rehabilitation and assistive technology are not a privilege, but a right. She aims to contribute to policy dialogue, evidence generation, and south-south knowledge exchange that promote inclusive rehabilitation ecosystems. She is particularly committed to capacity building, nurturing the next generation of African rehabilitation professionals, and scaling up context-specific innovations that respond to local needs.
Dr. Kombe’s journey embodies the spirit of resilience, leadership, and transformation in African rehabilitation making her a vital voice in the future of the P&O profession across the continent.
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