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Project

Limb & Life: A research collective to support rehabilitation services in Gaza, Palestine

Francesca Riccio-Ackerman

Limb & Life is a collective of researchers dedicated to describing pressing challenges in rehabilitation services, especially in prosthetic & orthotic (P&O) care.

Our group consists of both Gaza-based and academics, healthcare and public health professionals, researchers, engineers, and humanitarian partners across the world including members based at MIT.

Our work begins in Gaza, Palestine, where we are committed to investigating the current state of knowledge on the critical ambulatory and mobility needs of individuals affected by limb loss and severe limb injuries, as well as the supply chain, infrastructure, technology, and education needs of local health systems. 

Through research and education, we aim to support evidence-based rehabilitation care, provision of assistive technology devices such as prosthetic limbs and to support the development of locally-led systems of care that reduce dependence on international aid and ensure lifelong rehabilitative support.

Our motivation stems from the incredible humanitarian need for rehabilitation services in Gaza. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 25% of people injured in Gaza need long-term rehabilitation care, with between 13,455 and 17,550 suffering from severe limb injuries. The United Nations reports over 4,500 children have undergone amputations in Gaza, making the region home to the largest number of child amputees in the world. Limb & Life Collective is driven to amplify and center these critical needs.

Publications and Presentations

(upcoming, accepted) F. Riccio-Ackerman, T. Meah, K. Elessi, H. Elkhatib, F. Mohammadi, L. Abdelrahman, R. Afifi, & D. Totah, "Assessing Rehabilitation Systems in Conflict: A Policy Analysis of Prosthetic & Orthotic Services in Gaza, Palestine", oral presentation at the American University of Beirut’s Research in Crisis Settings conference, Beirut, Lebanon, 24 Sep 2025.

(upcoming, accepted) F. Riccio-Ackerman, T. Meah, K. Elessi, H. Elkhatib, F. Mohammadi, L. Abdelrahman, R. Afifi, & D. Totah, "Documenting the current state of rehabilitation needs and services in the Gaza Strip, Palestine," oral presentation at the 2025 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, Washington, DC, 3 Nov 2025.  Link to abstract: https://apha.confex.com/apha/2025/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/578355 

Our Team

In Gaza, Palestine

Dr. Khamis Elessi, MD, MScEBM, PM&R, Dip-Pain, Fellow, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM), Oxford University, UK; Professor & Head of Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University, Gaza City, Palestine;  Member, WHO-EMRO Expert Panel for Palliative Care

Haidar Al Khatib, Regional Operations Manager, Gaza Health, Biomedical Engineer at Al Shifa Hospital

At the University of Iowa

Deema Totah,  PhD, Director, Robotics & Assistive Devices Laboratory and Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Rima Afifi, PhD, MPH, CHES,  Professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut

At MIT

Francesca Riccio-Ackerman, PhD Student Researcher at the Biomechatronics Group at MIT Media Lab and the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics at MIT

Tarek Meah, PhD Student in the Graduate Program in Science, Technology & Society at MIT

Leila Abdelrahman,  Software Developer and Researcher, K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics at MIT

Rehabilitation Community Leaders

fatima mohammadi, JD Global Advocacy Coordinator for Limb & Life

Curated Research Resources

At a Glance: Gaza Rehabilitation Needs by Francesca Riccio-Ackerman