Community-Based Rehabilitation in Settings of Armed Conflict, Natural Disaster, or Mass Displacement: A Scoping Review

Amina Mohamed , Manpreet Kaur Virdi , Janeki Roux , Danny Liu , Matthew Hunt , Sidhiprada Mohapatra
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Submitted: 2022-07-01 19:51:36
Published: 2023-03-04

Purpose: Since its inception in 1978, CBR approaches have been implemented in many countries and settings. This study aimed to synthesise knowledge available in the scientific literature about health-related CBR programmes in settings affected by armed conflict, natural disaster or mass displacement.

Method: Databases searched in this scoping review were MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo and Google Scholar. Articles were included if they focused on health-related CBR undertaken in communities affected by armed conflict, natural disaster or mass displacement. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used to analyse the selected articles.

 Results: Of the 5537 articles screened, 31 met the eligibility criteria. Collectively, they address diverse CBR programmes across crisis settings. Factors that promoted successful CBR implementation were strong community and family support, and the development of CBR activities tailored to local cultural and social contexts. Barriers included human resource limitations and insufficient collaboration. Authors of the selected articles made recommendations for CBR implementation in crisis settings, including prioritising efforts to enhance community involvement, investment in crisis preparedness, initiatives to increase disability awareness, and the adoption of long-term management strategies.

Conclusion: CBR programmes can make important contributions in crisis settings. Community involvement and access to resources are crucial for programmes to effectively respond to the needs of the individuals and communities they aim to serve and for the sustainability of these initiatives. The findings of this review can help to inform CBR stakeholders regarding opportunities and challenges for developing and carrying out CBR programmes in crisis settings, including initiatives to establish guidance or policy.

Keywords

Persons with disabilities health programmes implementation

Authors

Amina Mohamed
Amina Mohamed is a Physiotherapist at a hospital in Toronto, Canada. She has a passion for health promotion and geriatric health. Amina is the co-founder of the Seniors Fitness Program, which is an initiative that provides exercise classes for seniors in the Muslim community. Her future aspirations include involving more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and Muslim women in physiotherapy through mentorship programs. Amina’s master’s research project focused on community-based rehabilitation in humanitarian crises settings. She plans to pursue further research in the global health field.
Manpreet Kaur Virdi
Manpreet Kaur Virdi is a Physiotherapist in Montréal, Canada. As a healthcare professional, her goals include providing the best care to her patients, improving access to rehabilitation services in underserved communities, and contributing to the advancement of the physiotherapy profession on a global scale. Driven by her passion and dedication, she is determined to work for the betterment of communities affected by humanitarian crisis. In addition to her desire to serve those in need, her interests lie in health research for which she was recognized by McGill University.
Janeki Roux
Janeki obtained her Master's degree in Physiotherapy from McGill University in 2021. She also has a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Montreal. Travelling between France and Canada, Janeki has a diverse background and now works as a physiotherapist in a private clinic in Montreal. She has particular interests in orthopaedics and global health. Her Master's research project explores community-based rehabilitation in settings of humanitarian crises. After presenting the project with her team to the McGill School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, they were nominated for the Ann Collins Whitmore Student Research Competition.
Danny Liu
Danny Liu is a Physiotherapist in Montréal, Canada. He chose this career, as it aligns best with his interests, which include staying active, enjoying the outdoors, and helping the most vulnerable individuals in his community. His work, which was nominated for the Ann Collins Whitmore Student Research Competition, centers on community-based rehabilitation in settings of armed conflict, mass displacement, and natural disasters. Despite spending most of his time reading research articles to stay up to date on physical therapy treatment methods, he will always find some time for his favorite activity, fishing.
Matthew Hunt
Matthew Hunt is an Associate Professor at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy of McGill University, and a researcher at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and the Centre for Research on Ethics. Matthew’s research interests are at the intersections of ethics, rehabilitation and global health. He co-leads the Humanitarian Health Ethics Research Group (humanitarianhealthethics.net) and McGill’s Global Health Rehabilitation Initiative.
Sidhiprada Mohapatra
Sidhiprada Mohapatra is an academician and a budding researcher. She works as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physiotherapy, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India. Sidhiprada is involved as a physiotherapist in low resource, community-based programs in the state of Karnataka, India. Her area of interest is advocacy, community-based program development, coordination, and implementation. Sidhiprada has been working with community dwelling adults and children with disabilities, and older adults. She is also pursuing doctoral study in the discipline of environment-psychology and its implications on individuals with disabilities in public spaces. Sidhiprada has seven publications in peer-reviewed journals and has collaborated with two grant projects for individuals with disabilities. As part of her work, she is involved in the advocacy committee for individuals with disabilities in the higher education institution. Sidhiprada is also engaged as the Coordinator of the Centre for Comprehensive Rehabilitation, MAHE. The Centre aim is to develop transdisciplinary rehabilitation, research and training for individuals with physical and psychosocial disabilities.

How to Cite

Amina Mohamed, Manpreet Kaur Virdi, Janeki Roux, Danny Liu, Matthew Hunt, Sidhiprada Mohapatra (2023-03-04). Community-Based Rehabilitation in Settings of Armed Conflict, Natural Disaster, or Mass Displacement: A Scoping Review. Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, Vol. 33 No. 4 (2022): Winter, 44-68.

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