Empowering You to Walk the Extra Mile
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, have significant disabilities. This number is increasing due to the burden of non-communicable diseases, road traffic accidents, industrial accidents, war and conflicts, and longer lifespans. People with disabilities come from diverse backgrounds and face health disparities, leading to earlier mortality and poorer health.
In 2015, in Jordan, the total number of individuals aged five years and older who reported having disabilities was 651,396, representing 11.1% of the population aged 5 years and older in Jordan, which means roughly one in nine individuals falls into this category. The most common disability among Jordanians aged 5 and above is visual impairment, with a prevalence of 6.0%, followed by motor disability (difficulty walking) at 4.8%.
Assistive technology plays a crucial role in promoting inclusion and participation, especially for individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and those with non-communicable diseases. The primary goal of assistive products is to maintain or enhance an individual's functioning and independence, which contributes to their overall well-being.
Recognizing this need, Isra University has established a center dedicated to training qualified technicians in prosthetics, providing services to community members, and supporting Jordan in implementing Objective Two of the WHO Global Disability Action Plan. This objective focuses on strengthening and extending rehabilitation services.
By establishing this centre, we aim to contribute to achieving the goal of WHO’s GATE initiative, which seeks to improve access to high-quality, affordable assistive products globally. Additionally, this project aims to ensure that all individuals can access the assistive and health services they require, of sufficient quality to be effective, without facing financial hardship. The objective is to ensure that "no one is left behind," in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the centre focuses on providing gender-sensitive services by empowering women and increasing their participation in the workforce. The establishment of the centre was approved by the board of trustees at Isra University on August 22, 2024, under decision number 2/10-2023/2024.
In many developing countries, especially in the Middle East, there is a lack of training centers that offer a range of high-quality programs to adequately train personnel in the fitting, fabrication, and assessment of prosthetics. The number of graduates from these programs is insufficient, and many of those who do graduate lack the necessary skills. Currently, over 75% of developing countries lack prosthetics training programs, leading to inadequate coverage of these essential services. Urgent action is needed to increase the number of trained personnel to ensure that everyone in need, regardless of their socio-economic status or location, can access these services. In Jordan, there is no center that trains prosthetics technicians at a middle diploma level, and the number of individuals in need of lower limb prostheses in Jordan is alarming.
The primary focus of the Prosthetics Centre is on education and training. The centre aims to prepare students and professionals in the field of prosthetics through practical training and applied programs. This helps to improve their skills and expand their job prospects in the market. Isra University's Prosthetics and Training Centre is not just a medical facility, it is a knowledge centre. Al-Isra University will be the first to establish a centre for prosthetics in Jordan and to the best of our knowledge in the region.