Community-Based Rehabilitation Programmes and Outcomes for Persons with Cerebral Palsy in Delta State

This study evaluates the outcomes of community-based rehabilitation programmes for persons with cerebral palsy in Delta State, South South Nigeria. Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent, non-progressive disorders of movement and posture attributed to disturbances occurring in the developing foetal or infant brain. Community-based rehabilitation, which delivers disability services within the individual's home and community environment rather than institutional settings, has been promoted as a cost-effective and sustainable approach in low-resource contexts such as Delta State. Using a descriptive survey design, the study targets individuals with cerebral palsy, their caregivers, and community rehabilitation workers in Warri, Asaba, and Agbor. A structured questionnaire measuring rehabilitation access, frequency of intervention, and perceived improvement in daily living activities is administered. Data are analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation to explore relationships between programme participation and functional outcomes. The study also examines how geographic remoteness and family income levels affect rehabilitation access. Findings are expected to confirm that community-based rehabilitation yields positive outcomes in communication and mobility when implemented consistently, but suffers from high attrition due to financial and transport constraints. Recommendations include mobile rehabilitation teams, community health worker integration, and government-funded assistive devices. The study's findings will contribute to evidence-based disability policy development in Delta State's Ministry of Social Development. Keywords: cerebral palsy, community-based rehabilitation, Delta State, functional outcomes, disability.