Rehabilitation and habilitation are instrumental in enabling people with limitations in functioning to remain in or return to their home or community, live independently, and participate in education, the labour market and civic life. Access to rehabilitation and habilitation can decrease the consequences of disease or injury, improve health and quality of life and decrease use of health services. While global data on the need for rehabilitation and habilitation, the type and quality of measures provided and estimates of unmet need do not exist, national-level data reveal large gaps in the provision of and access to such services in many low and middle-income countries.