FOCUSED SYMPOSIUM CONTRIBUTION

This contribution is part of Focused Symposium “THE FIRST PHYSICAL THERAPY SUMMIT ON GLOBAL HEALTH” number 3329

STATUS OF THE DISEASES OF CIVILIZATION IN THE ASIA WESTERN PACIFIC REGION AND RELATED PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE. Al-Obaidi S; Associate Professor, Physical Therapy Department, Kuwait University, Kuwait

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. To review health and mortality the Asia Western Pacific (AWP) Region of WCPT with special attention to the diseases of civilization, ie, ischemic heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, hypertension and stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis. 2. To examine the evidence supporting the degree to which physical therapy is addressing these issues in this WCPT region clinically, professional education, and research. SUMMARY: Data are being tabulated from: the WHO for prevalence of the diseases of civilization and AIDS/HIV; proportion of curriculum on the prevention, ‘cure’, and management from the schools of physical therapy in the countries of the AWP Region; and the physical therapy journals in the AWP Region with respect to articles published related to these conditions for an index of scientific research. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: The AWP Region is perhaps the most culturally diverse of the WCPT regions. Even its low-income countries are exhibiting increasing prevalence of the diseases of civilization with increasing affluence. In wealthy oil-rich countries, a major health priority in adults and children is metabolic syndrome including obesity, hypertension, and abnormal blood lipids, particularly in the wealthy oil-rich countries. Preliminary analysis supports gaps between the need for a higher level of visibiltiy of physical therapy in the prevention, ‘cure’, and management of the diseases of civilization in the AWP Region, proportion of professional curricula dedicated to these conditions, and physical therapy research. KEYWORDS: Asia West Pacific Region, diseases of civilization, AIDS/HIV, clinical practice, physical therapy education, and research. FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: None