Mobility for All: Making Prosthetics Accessible through Novel 3D Printing Technology
THE CHALLENGE
Thousands of people with disabilities live in three refugee camps and the surrounding communities in Kigoma, Tanzania. Faced with financial, material, and human resource shortages, people in need of prosthetic limbs cannot access specialized prosthetics and orthotics services. Without the appropriate assistive devices or care, people struggle to complete day-to-day tasks, like travelling, collecting food and water, or earning a living.
THE SOLUTION
To address this gap, Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) utilized 3D printing technology to make high-quality, lower-body prostheses for people with disabilities in the Kigoma camps and host communities. By the end of the project, 3D-printed, below-the-knee prosthetics were provided to 61 amputees. Of the 31 beneficiaries surveyed, 23 reported a return to socioeconomic activities as a result of the enhanced functionality afforded by the prosthetic devices. Importantly, the 3D printing approach proved to be cost-effective and efficient relative to the alternative of moving refugees out of camps to facilities in Dar es Salaam, supporting the case for scaling this approach in Tanzania’s refugee camps and other humanitarian contexts. In addition to scaling efforts, CCBRT also hopes to build the capacity of local prosthetics and orthotics professionals through training on the 3D printing process, prosthesis-fitting procedures, and gait training skills.
