ArticleInternational journal of surgery (London, England)2026
Trends of rehabilitation needs in 195 countries and regions from 1990 to 2021 and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on it: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.
Article in International journal of surgery (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Estimates for sensory impairments requiring rehabilitation in China and globally: a comparative analysis of trends from 1990 to 2021 and future projections based on the GBD-WHO rehabilitation database 2021.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Integrating case-based learning into the ADDIE model for higher vocational rehabilitation nursing courses: a quasi-experimental study.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- From professional appeal to professional standard: reframing the Italian rehabilitation workforce through evidence, regulation, and global alignment.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe magnitude and composition of global rehabilitation needs are evolving, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aims to systematically analyze the trends of rehabilitation needs across 195 countries and regions from 1990 to 2021 and to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global rehabilitation needs. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis study included 27 health conditions for which rehabilitation is considered a key intervention, with all data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. A multidimensional analytical framework was employed to analyze multiple aspects of rehabilitation needs, including segmented regression, smoothing spline models, decomposition analysis, inequality assessment, frontier analysis, and the Bayesian age-period-cohort model.
resultsDue to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global number of people in need of rehabilitation reached 2.56 billion in 2021, up significantly from 2.41 billion in 2019. Over the past three decades, rehabilitation needs have increased notably for neurological disorders, sensory impairments, chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neoplasms. Notably, when a country's universal health coverage effective index reaches approximately 80, the rehabilitation needs tend to stabilize or even decline. The increasing needs for rehabilitation services are primarily driven by population growth and population aging. In 2021, rehabilitation needs remained concentrated in high Sociodemographic Index (SDI) regions, but it showed a trend toward greater global equity. Frontier analysis indicated that a reduction in the burden of rehabilitation-related conditions is associated with improvements in social development. Nonetheless, certain high-SDI countries exhibited significant deviations from this trend. By 2035, the absolute number of prevalent cases with rehabilitation-related conditions is projected to reach approximately 2.64 billion.
conclusionThe need for rehabilitation services has increased significantly worldwide, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend places greater demands on the allocation, equity, and accessibility of global health resources.
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