The Foundation and CMC have once again been selected by USAID as an American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) grant recipient, a federally funded program that supports infrastructure and capital improvement initiatives. The FY2020 ASHA Grant will support the use of robotics and Artificial Intelligence to help improve physical rehabilitation for people with disabilities.
The funds awarded, $813,134, will directly fund medical equipment to benefit 70% of CMC’s patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injuries, mostly arising from road traffic accidents, and children with cerebral palsy and neuromuscular disorders, who require physical rehabilitation. Robotic and virtual reality-assisted technology will provide neurorehabilitation of upper and lower limbs providing multiple repetitions, biofeedback sensors to monitor progress, and improved mobility outcomes.
CMC’s Rehabilitation Institute (where this project will be implemented) was named a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Development of Rehabilitation Technology, Capacity Building and Disability Prevention and has a 50-year history of pioneering community-based rehabilitation. With an increasing incidence of acquired brain and spinal cord injuries and with increased survival of these patients due to better resuscitation methods, the need for rehabilitative care has risen exponentially. This award will give more patients equitable and cost-effective access to advanced rehabilitation resulting in better life quality.
CMC Vellore has greatly benefited from this public-private partnership with USAID- ASHA since 1982, with over $12 million in grant funding supporting the enhancement of its educational, research, and patient care services. Learn more about this partnership here: USAID-ASHA.
