The approach
What is DPRP?
Prevention. Rehabilitation. Ownership.
The Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Programme (DPRP) aims to prevent avoidable disabilities and support people with disabilities to live dignified, independent and meaningful lives in their own communities.
DPRP brings together local organisations, governments, funders and communities. It strengthens the health centres, schools and public services people already use, with local ownership from the beginning.
Prevention and support, together
DPRP works on two fronts. Prevention means strengthening maternal, newborn and child healthcare to reduce avoidable birth defects and childhood disabilities. Rehabilitation and everyday support help people with disabilities identify what they need, plan and monitor their support, and benefit from opportunities in their community.
People with disabilities take part at every stage: identifying needs, planning, carrying out the work, monitoring it and evaluating the results. The principle is simple: “Nothing About Us Without Us.”
Built into the services people already use
DPRP strengthens existing public systems: health centres, schools, local government and community structures. Local and provincial governments take part in planning, implementation and monitoring from day one, so that they can lead and sustain the work themselves.
What is Community-Based Rehabilitation?
Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) is a World Health Organization approach built around five areas: health and prevention, education, livelihood, social support and participation. It connects these areas through existing public services. Schools and health centres become easier to access, while families, community leaders and local government all play an active role.
Where DPRP began
DPRP began in Nepal in 2007 as a pilot called Inspire2Care, founded by René aan de Stegge, Betteke de Gaay Fortman, Dipak Bhattarai and Yogendra Giri. Karuna Foundation handed leadership to Nepali professionals early in the programme. Karuna Foundation Nepal was formally established as a Nepali NGO in 2015 to carry the work forward.
Inspire2Care developed into DPRP: a programme led by government and rooted in communities. It has become part of Nepal’s public system and expanded across all 137 local governments in Koshi Province, with work towards expansion across Nepal.
From Nepal, local organisations have adapted DPRP in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bangladesh. Each organisation shapes the approach to its own government structures, services and communities while keeping the same principles: support for everyone who needs it, local ownership, shared costs and a planned end to outside funding.
Evaluation and recognition
An independent cost-effectiveness assessment by the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in the Netherlands found the model highly cost-effective during its pilot phase. The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) later recognised the approach as one of five best practices in community-based inclusive development following an assessment spanning 37 Asian countries.
What the programme aims to achieve
- Increase fair access to, and use of, maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition services across all population groups.
- Improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and their families.
- Strengthen local government systems so they can provide quality services that respond to people’s needs on their own.
The principles behind the work
Local leadership and ownership
Local government leads planning, implementation and monitoring from the start. Families, people with disabilities and community organisations help shape the work and keep it connected to everyday needs.
“Change that lasts is change that’s owned locally — by the people who live it.”
Shared costs
Local government, provincial government and the implementing partner contribute financially, with government’s share increasing over time. The arrangement depends on the context. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, government pays Community-Based Rehabilitation Facilitator and physiotherapist salaries, while parents contribute through service user fees.
People shape their own support
People with disabilities participate throughout the programme, from identifying their needs and planning support to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Their experience and priorities guide decisions about the work.
A planned end to outside funding
External funding is time-bound, for up to five years per area. Planning for that funding to end begins at the start, with the aim that government and community can fully sustain the programme afterward.
The areas of support
- Health and rehabilitation: healthcare, medical care, rehabilitation and assistive devices that respond to people’s needs.
- Prevention: care during pregnancy, delivery and infancy, with early screening to help prevent avoidable disabilities.
- Education: removing barriers to mainstream schooling and lifelong learning.
- Livelihood and economic resilience: skills, employment and community savings and support groups.
- Social support and participation: reducing stigma and supporting people with disabilities to speak up for their own rights.
Government commitments that become everyday practice
DPRP adds a particular emphasis on strengthening systems and government accountability. Community stakeholders work to make CBR part of existing services, budgets and annual plans. Government remains accountable for its commitments, so support becomes an ongoing public responsibility.
Funding the work
DPRP combines government and community contributions with outside funding for a defined period. The funding partners listed in the website content draft include both confirmed and prospective relationships; individual statuses are still to be confirmed.
See the funding partners listed for DPRP
Find your way to take part