Emergency Prosthetic Support for Palestinians

The Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) Department is a newly integrated unit in the CBR program. It focuses on production and delivery of customized orthotic and prosthetic solutions with the use of advanced 3D-printing technology. This approach enables highly accurate measurements, faster production timeline, enhanced comfort, and better functional outcomes, particularly for children who require frequent modifications to their prosthetics during their growth.

Compared to traditional P&O service models– which typically require multiple patient visits for assessment, fitting, and delivery the introduction of 3D printing has significantly reduced the number of required visits, enabling faster service delivery and significantly lowering the financial and psychological burden on beneficiaries and their families.

This technology advancement is highly important in the Palestinian context, where mobility is often restricted by frequent military checkpoints, and travel can be costly and time-consuming, with delays ranging from 15 minutes to as long as 8 hours. By reducing the need for repeated travel, the new technology has improved accessibility for P&O services.

Since its establishment, the department has provided services to children and adults across multiple governorates, including Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin and Tulkarem.

Most cases involved pediatric patients, highlighting the importance of lightweight, adaptable, and precise devices, an area where 3D printing provides a major advantage. It also enables individualized designs that improve mobility, alignment, and daily function while reducing production time compared to conventional methods.

Since the introduction of 3D-printing technology in the P&O unit, the team has supported a total of 25 beneficiaries (18 children and 7 adults), delivering 37 devices. Of these, 10 were prosthetic devices.