December 2009

WCPT is a partner in organising the second World Health Professions' Conference on Regulation (WHPCR) to be held on 18 & 19 February 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.

In addition to the main programming aimed at all those working in health professional regulation, there will be a specific opportunity to network with physical therapy colleagues from around the world at a profession specific workshop on the second day.

The conference's objectives are to:

• debate the future control and direction of health professionals’ regulation within the context of changing scopes’ of practice
• examine the regulatory & professional issues related to the international migration of health professionals
• critically evaluate the relationship between health professional education, regulation and standards of practice

To benefit from a lower registration fee you must register before 1 February 2010 at www.whpa.org/whpcr2010/registration.htm.

The conference website has also recently set up an online discussion forum to discuss the themes of the programme. To have your say go to icn.ch/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi.

On 20th November 2009 more than 70 Ministers of Transport, Health and Interior and other senior government officials from 150 countries adopted the "Moscow Declaration" at the close of the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. This historic document invites the UN General Assembly to declare a Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and represents a unique opportunity to make progress to tackle a leading cause of death and disability.

It also encourages further implementation of the recommendations of the World report on road traffic injury prevention; calls for particular efforts to address the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and users of public transport; promotes harmonisation of road safety and vehicle safety regulations and good practices; recommends strengthening road safety legislation and enforcement; supports enhancing emergency trauma care systems; and requests additional funding from the international development community, especially for low-income and middle-income countries.

For further information please go to http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/en/.

The first issue of PPE News has just been published. This newsletter from the Positive Practice Environments for health care professionals campaign looks at why the campaign is necessary, new projects for Zambia, Uganda and Morocco, and PPE's partnership with the Global Health Workforce Alliance.

For more information about PPE and to download the newsletter (available in English and French), please go to the global health section of the WCPT website at www.wcpt.org/node/29151#PPE.  

WCPT frequently receives requests from physical therapists around the world who are interested in volunteering, working, studying or carrying out research outside their own country. Details of opportunities we have been made aware of are on the WCPT website at http://www.wcpt.org/node/29331. Individuals may also post messages on the WCPT forum at http://www.wcpt.org/smfforum/index.php?board=38.0.

Alternatively, if you work for an NGO or an international organisation looking for physical therapy volunteers, please send details to web@wcpt.org.