Colombia - IOM and USAID are supporting the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection to strengthen rehabilitation services in municipalities severely affected by armed conflict in Quibdó, Apartadó, Cartagena, and Popayán.

The project, which targets public institutions that are part of the public health care network, will create a national rehabilitation system that meets the needs of people with disabilities, particularly those who live in remote and difficult to access areas.

According to the 2005 census, 2,624,898 persons are living with permanent, conflict-related disabilities in Colombia (6.3 percent of the total population). Some 38 percent of 1,082,181 people with disabilities who are registered in the Registry to Locate and Profile People with Disabilities (RLCPD) need functional rehabilitation.

The project includes the strengthening of functional rehabilitation services at the institutional level, including the provision of high-tech equipment for electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, mechanotherapy, physical conditioning, and activity simulation. The project also includes the establishment of community rehabilitation services in the framework of Colombia’s General Health Social Security System (SGSSS).

These services will complement initiatives for health promotion, illness prevention, and strategies for primary healthcare at the family and community level.

For further information, please contact Nicolás Cárdenas at IOM Colombia, Email: ncardenas@iom.int, Tel. +571-639-7777.