Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine: Special Issue 50-4bokBW | Page 39

Responding to the WHO Global Disability Action Plan in Ukraine
ment representatives, who provided relevant
information and were willing to held open
discussions;
• excellent coaching and team support from
national representatives and experts, with
daily discussion on the information gathered
(including high-quality translation during
consultations and site visits);
• a clear concept for structuring information;
• a well-organized stakeholder meeting with
goals-oriented moderation;
• a high level of political will of all national
partners to improve the life situation of persons
with disabilities, including access to health and
reform of the rehabilitation system.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine with respect to
disability and rehabilitation, it was important to
take into consideration that the health system is
based on the tradition of the former Soviet Union.
Firstly, the term “invalidity” does not express the
international model of disability, which is not an
attribute of a person, but occurs due to the interac-
tion of a person with a health condition and the
environment (1). Since all political documents in
Ukraine are based on this out-dated terminology,
some changes in terminology and understanding
are necessary.
Rehabilitation services are also based on the
traditional central and eastern European model of
health-resort medicine and sanatoria for patients
with chronic health conditions. Thus, acute,
post-acute and community-based rehabilitation
services are scarce, and existing rehabilitation
professions do not meet international standards.
However, the existing services and rehabilitation
workforce are good starting points from which to
develop a modern rehabilitation system. Concrete
recommendations for the transition of services
and professions were included in the report and
model projects were suggested.
Overall, the mission was successful, and 1 year
later a number of changes had been adopted by
the Ukrainian government (Box 1). From this
starting point a good deal of further action is
needed. It will also be important to monitor the
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Box 1. Rehabilitation Advisory Team’s 2015 mission
in Ukraine: achievements to the end of 2016
• New names for rehabilitation professions have been
included in the National Classification of Occupations:
physical and rehabilitation medicine, physical
therapist, occupational therapist.
• New training requirements have been set up for
rehabilitation professions: in agreement with the
standards of international professional organizations.
• Technical advice and input regarding revision of the
draft law on Prevention of Disability and Rehabilitation
System in Ukraine was provied.
• Special directive for ICF implementation i