WHO Collaborating Centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health

The Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research at Ontario Tech University is a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health.

The WHO collaborating centre is the first of its kind in Canada to focus on rehabilitation and musculoskeletal health, and one of the few worldwide to concentrate on musculoskeletal health. As a collaborating centre, the Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (IDRR) assists the WHO in researching, evaluating, and strengthening rehabilitation and musculoskeletal health in Canada. This recognition reflects the depth and richness of the IDRR and its reputation as an international leader in rehabilitation and musculoskeletal health education and research.

Director

Coordinator

What is a collaborating centre?

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes collaborating centres as "an institution designated by the Director-General of WHO to form part of an international collaborative network set up by WHO in support of its programme at the country, intercountry, regional, interregional and global levels." Currently, there are over 800 WHO collaborating centres in over 80 Member States working with WHO on areas such as mental health, communicable and chronic diseases, and new technologies in health care.

What the function of a collaborating centre is:

The main role of the WHO collaborating centres is to provide strategic support to WHO to meet two main needs:
a. Implementing WHO's mandated work and programme objectives
b. Developing and strengthening institutional capacity in countries and regions

Goals of the WHO collaborating centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health

The WHO collaborating centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health will assist the WHO in the following:

  1. Support WHO in the global response to the burden of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions by building capacity and strengthening data 

  2. Support WHO to strengthen research in rehabilitation science 

  3. At WHO’s request, promote WHO’s rehabilitation 2030 initiatives

Subjects

  1.  Rehabilitation
  2.  Musculoskeletal health
  3.  Ageing
  4.  Health information; statistics; measurement & trend assessment
  5.  Evidence synthesis

Types of Activities

  1. Research 

  2. Providing technical advice to WHO 

  3. Training and education

What are PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres?

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More information

For more information on WHO collaborating centres, visit the WHO website and the WHO collaborating center global database.