The Exceed Research Network (ERN) is an international research consortium, focusing on Prosthetic and Orthotic (P&O) and disability research in lower resource settings.

Founded in 2015, ERN promotes high quality, needs-led applied research, using country- and culturally-appropriate methods. The Network mobilises the skills of experienced researchers and practitioners from the NGO, academic, private and public sectors to carry out ethical research which benefits people with disabilities.

Why P&O? - Many of us know that P&O services provide amputees and others with assistive devices like artificial limbs and braces. However, meeting patients’ physical rehabilitation needs effectively, especially in lower resource settings, depends on complex and interrelated activities and challenges.

Professional clinicians and technicians must be trained. Services must be funded and evolve to meet patients’ needs. Effective management and administration is required. Sourcing appropriate components and developing a reliable supply chain is essential. Working with Government and other partners is vital to develop sustainable models that can provide accessible, lifelong support for those who need P&O services.

Research – high-quality, applied research has an important role to play in the areas described above. ERN contributes by using ethically and culturally-appropriate scientific and socio-economic research to identify and understand the needs P&O service users, support needs-led service development, access and use data effectively, develop and test devices, evaluate service impact and build local research capacity in research locations.

A report published under the AT2030 programme provides an overview of the P&O landscape in Low- and Middle-Income countries - https://at2030.org/static/at2030_core/outputs/Prostheses_Product_Narrative_a11y_20200827.pdf