About the region

The Asia Western Pacific (AWP) region comprises 31 member organisations, spread from the Middle East through Asia to the Pacific. Although there is diversity in terms of ethics, language, geography and development, the promotion of physiotherapy is common to all.

Key aims of the region are to:

• establish closer cooperation among member organisations of the region
• represent the profession in the region in consultation with or as delegated by the executive committee
• cooperate with the various international organisations in the region in promoting World Physiotherapy objectives
• initiate new and promote established professional activities within the region which further the aims of World Physiotherapy
• formulate resolutions regarding matters of regional or geographical concern for proposal to the executive committee and World Physiotherapy general meeting

The region holds a general meeting of member representatives every two years, in conjunction with the World Physiotherapy congress, and a general meeting, in association with a regional congress hosted by a member organisation.

Since 1991, regional congresses have been hosted by Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, India and Taiwan. In 2019, the regional general meeting was held in Switzerland.

One member of the World Physiotherapy board is elected by the member organisations in the region for a four-year term.

AWP region executive committee

• Chair: Marco Pang, member of 香港物理治療學會/Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association
• Vice chair: Dinesh Verma, member of Singapore Physiotherapy Association
• Executive committee member: Tin Hlaing Soe, member of Myanmar Physiotherapy Association
• Executive committee member: Tomonori Ito, member of 公益社団法人日本理学療法士協会/Japanese Physical Therapy Association
• Executive committee member: Haneul Lee, member of Korean Physical Therapy Association  
• Executive committee member: Van Le Thanh, member of Hội Vật lý trị liệu Việt Nam/Vietnam Physical Therapy Association

Webinars and events in 2024

The Asia Western Pacific region executive committee organises a series of webinars. Each webinar is only open to members of World Physiotherapy member organisations in the Asia Western Pacific region.

• 25 September 2024
  • General meeting: Aston Denpasar Hotel, Bali, Indonesia

• 26-28 September 2024
  • Asia Western Pacific region congress: collaboration and transformation towards sustainable physiotherapy practice
  • Visit the website for more details

AWP regional congress

The AWP regional congress, held every four years, typically attracts many overseas delegates as well as a substantial number of local physiotherapists and accompanying persons. It is usually held in the middle of the year or at the time that best suits the host country and lasts 2-3 days.

In addition, a general meeting is usually held 1-2 days immediately before or after the congress.

Past locations for the regional congress and general meeting:

• 2017 Bangkok, Thailand
• 2013 Taichung, Taiwan
• 2009 Mumbai, India
• 2005 Seoul, South Korea
• 2001 Singapore
• 1995 Jakarta, Indonesia
• 1991 Hong Kong

The purpose of the AWP regional congress is to promote contact and interchange between physiotherapists throughout the region and provide a forum to report research findings, share information relevant to the region and support the ongoing work of the region.

For more details about meetings and events in the AWP region, please contact Heidi Kosakowski at [email protected]