Although advances in healthcare have greatly improved the treatment of many conditions, many people still leave hospital with ongoing pain and difficulty performing everyday tasks. These are problems that could be better managed with rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and other forms of rehabilitative care.
These services are especially vital for people recovering from road accidents, stroke survivors relearning how to speak or regain movement, and children with neurodevelopmental conditions. However, they remain out of reach for many, largely because rehabilitation centers and specialists are far from where people live or because patients struggle with the fatigue of repeated follow-up appointments.
To address this, several African universities, including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) have been working under a European Union-funded Project known as RADIC, which is an acronym for “Rehabilitation for all through digital innovation and new competencies”, to bridge the gap between experts and patients.
The goal of the three- year project, which commenced in March 2023, is to strengthen the capacity of universities in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda to better support digital solutions that encourage innovation, and support business growth in this field, thereby improving access to rehabilitation services for everyone, through digital platforms.
During the project’s final conference held at JKUAT on November 24-28, 2025, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, represented by Prof. Hellen Mberia, commended the initiative, noting that as Africa faces a rapidly growing demand for quality rehabilitation services, digital tools are no longer optional.
She emphasized that they provide practical, sustainable solutions to address critical workforce shortages, improve clinical efficiency, strengthen interdisciplinary training, and ensure continuity of care through telehealth and remote rehabilitation platforms.
Demonstrating this commitment, and in line with the Vice Chancellor’s pledge to leverage JKUAT’s strong ICT infrastructure to advance digital rehabilitation research and training, the Department of Rehabilitation Science, led by Dr. Wallace Karuguti, has already integrated digital modules into two of its courses.
Addressing the interactive conference, which featured various experts from the Rehabilitation sector comprising both academia and industry actors, Dr. Nassib Tawa from World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, said that the goal is not to replace traditional services, but to amplify them thus expanding reach, enabling person-centred care.
“More than 63% of those who need rehabilitation in low and middle income countries do not receive it, largely because services are centralized in major cities, forcing families to travel long distances. As a result, people may live longer, but with untreated or worsening disabilities making this not just a health gap, but a human rights issue that must be addressed,” explained Dr. Tawa.
The conference discussions focused heavily on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in rehabilitation, with Dr. Haleluya Moshi from KCMC emphasizing the need to build strong digital skills so practitioners can effectively serve clients without always relying on face-to-face engagement.
Adding to this, Mr. Nyange Mwema, a visually impaired educator from the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), highlighted that although many health services, such as speech therapy and counselling, have become digitized, there are still too few people trained to use these tools.
Given that AI use also raises ethical concerns, researchers committed to safeguarding patient privacy and ensuring responsible handling of sensitive data. Prof. David Tumusiime from the University of Rwanda underscored the importance of conducting research as professionals interact with these systems, explaining that evidence gathered from real-world use can guide the development of effective policies, strengthen accountability, and support the creation of standards that benefit both practitioners and patients.
The RADIC project partners who include Finland’s Jamk University of Applied Sciences, Kenya’s Moi University, Rwanda’s University of Global Health Equity UGHE Ltd (UGHE) and University of Rwanda (UR), Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University (KCMU) and The State University Of Zanzibar (SUZA), as well as Germany’s Hochschule Bochum (BO) have also focused on improving teaching and training so that students and professionals in health, social care, and education gain high-quality skills to use digital tools in rehabilitation.
To this end, the teams developed two resources: Handbook of Digital Rehabilitation in Health Care for East African countries and Educational Handbook of Digital Rehabilitation in Health Care for East African Countries.
This focus on digital competence has opened up new employment opportunities, especially for graduates who have embraced digital tools in their practice. Dr. Naomi Wanjiru from Moi University shared an example of professionals she has trained who have used these skills to start their own practices, allowing them to treat patients virtually and conduct follow-up sessions online.
