The UN, WRA, and WHO: The Role of the International Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Policy, Advocacy, and Interventions

Thursday, May 21, 2026

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PT

Location: 212

Ideal Audience:Administrators, Physicians, Residents/Fellows, Medical Students

Course Director(s)

Matthew N. Bartels,MD,MPH, MD, MPH (he/him/his)

Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine
Chair of Rehabilitation Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore, USA
Bryan O'Young, MD

Medical Director of Physiatric Pain Management, Dept. of PM&R
Geisinger Health System

Speaker(s)

Francesca Gimigliano, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)

Prof. in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
University of Campania "luigi Vanvitelli"
Heakyung Kim, MD (she/her/hers)

Professor and Chairman
UT Southwestern

Faculty(s)

Merce Avellanet, MD (she/her/hers)

Head of Department
Hospital Nstra sra de Meritxell

Moderator(s)

Gerard E. Francisco, MD (he/him/his)

Professor and Chair
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School

Brief Session Description : This session addresses the need for the advancement of rehabilitation in the international arena. The discussions will address improving access and advocacy through improving education and quality of rehabilitation services worldwide. The role of the ISPRM with the United Nations, the World Rehabilitation Alliance, and the World Health Organization as an NGO creating partnerships advocating for disability rights and implementing policy changes for the one sixth of the world population with disability are discussed. The GAPS subcommittee of the AAP will be shown as a concrete model of improving education in an era of limited resources and international disengagement.

COI
Unless noted below there are none.
Merce Avellanet, MD – Disclosed honoraria from Teva Pharmaceuticals
Gerard E. Francisco, MD – Disclosed consulting role (Saol Therapeutics)

Session Objectives:

Learning Objective 1: Attendees will learn the role of the ISPRM in the United Nations and within the framework of the United Nations non governmental organizations. They will be able to describe how participant organizations work within the UN and how the ISPRM can partner with other NGO in the furtherance of advocacy for people with disabilities and healthcare workers who provide for them.

Learning Objective 2: Attendees will learn the role of the ISPRM in the World Health Organization and within the framework of the WHO non governmental organizations. They will be able to describe how participant organizations work with WHO and how the ISPRM can partner with other NGO in the furtherance of advocacy for health care and equity for people with disabilities and healthcare workers who provide for them.

Learning Objective 3: Participants will learn about the World Rehabilitation Alliance of the World Health Organization, the ISPRM, and how they participate in the furtherance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and improving health care for individuals with disabilities.

Learning Objective 4: Participants will learn from on the ground advocates how to effect change in international settings using some of the support from the United Nations, The World Health Organization, the ISPRM, and The Association for Academic Physiatrists in creating new programs in international settings in furtherance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and improving health care for individuals with disabilities.
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