Travelling 50 kilometres, 100 kilometres, or more, for a prosthetic device remains a reality for some people seeking rehabilitation services. The distance often comes with additional costs, time away from work, and delays in receiving care. ALSO READ: Rwanda launches AI-powered mobile apps to improve health services Physiotherapists say technology could help change that by bringing services closer to communities and enabling patients to connect with specialists remotely. New tools could make rehabilitation more accessible to people who currently struggle to reach it. Identifying the problem first The most effective technologies in physiotherapy depend on the problem being addressed. Innovation starts by identifying the challenge first, as different problems require different solutions, said David Tumusiime, an Associate Professor of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences at University of Rwanda’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences. ALSO READ: The last Luddite standing He was speaking during the World Physiotherapy Africa Region Conference 2026, held in Kigali from June 5–6. For patients travelling long distances to access prosthetic services, he pointed to 3D printing as one option that could bring services closer to communities. For mild conditions such as back pain, he cited mobile applications that guide patients through exercises. Tumusiime also highlighted tele-rehabilitation, which enables patients to communicate with physiotherapists remotely through digital platforms. Many of these technologies already exist but have largely been developed outside the region, particularly in Europe and elsewhere, and must be adapted to local conditions. They should be piloted to assess whether they fit the context, and only those that prove effective should be retained, he said. Existing tools can be combined with locally designed applications to meet specific needs, he added. According to him, adopting these technologies requires access, knowledge, and capacity. Training is essential if physiotherapists are to use them effectively, he said. The physiotherapy expert noted that rehabilitation technologies are already helping to reduce costs, improve recovery outcomes, and limit unnecessary referrals to higher levels of care. However, he said the challenge lies in integrating them into routine practice, which requires clear regulations, guidelines, and systems for payment and reimbursement. He stressed that professionals must first understand the technologies themselves so they can explain them clearly to policymakers and support advocacy efforts. The professor added that stakeholders, including end users and policymakers, should be involved early in the design process to support smoother implementation and scale-up. Training is important for both professionals and patients to ensure the safe use of digital rehabilitation platforms. Where community health workers are involved in delivering these services, patient safety must remain the priority. Advocacy is the first role, but you can only advocate effectively when you understand the technology and can demonstrate its value to decision-makers, he said. Tumusiime added that new rehabilitation tools, including digital systems and organoid-based approaches (lab-grown organ models), should undergo pilot studies to confirm their safety and effectiveness under clear ethical and regulatory standards. There should be simple protocols for community health workers, including clear instructions and warning signs, to protect patients. Building better rehabilitation technology Aminat Abolade, a Nigerian physiotherapist, said rehabilitation is increasingly being shaped by artificial intelligence, clinical decision-support systems, and training tools. She noted the growing use of remote symptom monitoring, tele-rehabilitation, and virtual reality, enabling patients to track their progress from virtually anywhere. She said physiotherapists should be involved in designing these tools, particularly in AI governance, to ensure they reflect clinical needs and address concerns around data use and privacy. She called for collaboration with universities and the use of local clinical data to improve accuracy and security. We need to be involved in the development process because otherwise developers and institutions will build these tools and then ask us to use them. AI and the future of physiotherapy Sidy Ousmane Dieye, the Chief Executive of the World Physiotherapy Board, said physiotherapy has largely responded to technologies such as artificial intelligence, tele-rehabilitation, robotics, wearables, and virtual reality rather than helping shape them at the development stage. He said the profession now needs to take a more proactive role in how these tools are designed and regulated. He worried that while much attention is focused on future possibilities, current issues such as inclusion, equity, and transparency—particularly in Africa—often receive less attention. Dieye also raised concerns about data use, questioning whose information is being used to build AI systems and how underrepresented regions are reflected in these technologies. He said barriers such as poor connectivity, low digital literacy, and limited access could slow adoption across Africa. According to Dieye, technology should be understood broadly as any tool, programme, or device that improves clinical or research outcomes by strengthening professional practice.
