The IRETT (International Rehabilitation Education and Training Toolkit) has been an invaluable resource in addressing the gaps in education, regulation and clinical practice in Uganda and its potential use across all low-resource settings was shared during the recent World Physiotherapy Africa Region Congress 2024.

The World Physiotherapy Africa Region Congress 2024, held on 12–15 September in Cape Town, South Africa, provided a platform for physiotherapy professionals from across the African continent to collaborate and share innovations. Hosted by the South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP), this congress also marked the centenary celebration of physiotherapy in South Africa. Attendees explored topics related to rehabilitation, health promotion, and strategies for advancing physiotherapy in African contexts.

Thanks to the USAID-funded ReLAB-HS activity, rehabilitation professionals p from Uganda attended the congress to share the success of ReLAB-HS workforce development activities in Uganda. The team, including Herbert Omoding, Margaret Namatovu, Calvin Kisembo and Amon Nuwahereza,   presented on the success of using the IRETT  – a set of resources that can be integrated into any region’s education, training or regulatory activities that supports workforce development in order to build rehabilitation capacity and improve the quality of rehabilitation care. The IRETT comprises several practical tools, including the Academic Program Reflection Tool (APRT), the Professionalisation and Regulation Reflection Tool (PRTT) and the Clinical Skills Training Tool (CSTT).

The Uganda team began the presentations with real-life examples of using the IRETT tools in a variety of professional settings, spanning physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and orthopaedic technology.

Calvin Kisembo first described how the PRRT was used to guide rehabilitation professional associations in Uganda to meet international standards as well as local rehabilitation needs whilst fostering interprofessional collaboration. The PRRT was used to advance education standards in Uganda . This interprofessional collaboration allowed the team to align the education towards better interprofessional collaboration and shared use of available resources as well as to develop the Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics for Occupational Therapists in Uganda.

Click to download full presentation

Margaret Namatovu then presented the APRT and highlighted successes in using this to guide the development of entry-level programmes that meet international standards and local rehabilitation needs. She explained how use of the APRT can assist in identifying areas to strengthen curriculum and has the potential to support the advancement of rehabilitation education for rehabilitation professionals globally.

Click to download full presentation

Amon Nuwahereza continued by explaining how professional associations in Uganda have been levelling up continuing professional development (CPD) through collaborative clinical rehabilitation skills training to enable the different rehabilitation professionals to share perspectives, knowledge and skills. The innovative interprofessional hybrid clinical skills training (CST) comprised structured online learning through Physiopedia Plus followed by in-person practical training sessions with local and international mentors facilitated by ongoing online discussions through the Rehabilitation Community. This approach enabled professions to learn from and with each other and shows promise on a wider scale as it can be planned and implemented by professional associations, healthcare facilities and rehabilitation professionals in any context to meet CPD requirements and the needs of the local community.

Click to download full presentation

Finally Herbert Omoding, Physiopedia’s Education Focal Point for the ReLAB-HS activity in Uganda, summarised how all these activities are connected as part of the IRETT. The tools are specifically designed to improve the education and professional development of rehabilitation professionals, especially in resource-constrained environments. They focus on building stronger academic programmes, enhancing professional standards and regulation and strengthening clinical skills training for rehabilitation practitioners.

Click to download full presentation

The audience responded with enthusiasm, particularly appreciating the interprofessional collaboration demonstrated through the ReLAB-HS activities.

The IRETT tools presented were seen as a great resource in addressing the gaps in education, regulation and clinical practice, particularly in low-resource settings. Attendees noted that this model of cooperation, involving multiple professional associations, should be replicated in other countries to maximise resources and strengthen the collective voice of the rehabilitation professions.