June 2010

It's approaching that time of the year when planning for World Physical Therapy Day gets started. With nearly 40 of our member organisations marking the day during 2009, we are looking to make the events taking place in 2010 even bigger and better!

The highly topical Movement for Health theme will be continued with new materials to be added on active ageing, as well as a new article by Marilyn Moffat. Kickstart your thinking by taking a look at our existing "toolkit" providing practical advice on how to plan an event along with ideas for possible activities. Please go to http://www.wcpt.org/node/28728.

A further announcement will be made shortly once the new materials are available for download. 

To view the activities which took place last year see the October '09 issue of WCPT News,  http://www.wcpt.org/node/32150, and the WCPT website at http://www.wcpt.org/wptday#activities.

REMINDER: the call for abstracts for WCPT's Congress, World Physical Therapy 2011, is now open with a closing date of 15 September 2010.

All submissions must be made electronically via the online submission system on the WCPT website. 

For further details please go to http://www.wcpt.org/congress/abstracts.

WCPT has recently published a call on its website for a physical therapist to lead the prosthetic therapy services for amputees at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Deschapelles in Haiti. Go to http://www.wcpt.org/node/32997.

WCPT is looking for your perspective on CPD. No matter what your area of interest or where you work or live, please help us understand better your CPD needs and interests by completing a short survey.

Go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/CN7NYZF. WCPT will use the survey's findings to improve its provision of quality continuing professional development opportunities.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the WCPT awards programme is now just one month away on 31 July 2010. If you are aware of an individual physical therapist who has made an exceptional contribution to the profession and/or global health, the Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the following awards: 

• Mildred Elson Award
• International Service Award
• Humanitarian Service Award
• Leadership in Rehabilitation Award

The recipients will be announced at the time of WCPT's General Meeting and Congress, World Physical Therapy 2011, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 2011. 

For further details and the nomination procedure for each of the award categories please visit the WCPT website at http://www.wcpt.org/awards. Individual physical therapists should contact their member organisation to put forward a nomination. Member organisations may request a nomination form by emailing info@wcpt.org.

Have you ever wondered what WCPT's position is on important professional issues such as education, ethical principles, standards of practice and specialisation? Within the policies section of the WCPT website you will find Position statements and Declarations of principle on these and other issues affecting the profession around the world.

Following an international meeting the Adelaide Statement on Health in All Policies has been issued. Its aim is to engage leaders and policy-makers at all levels of government - local, regional, national and international. It emphasises that government objectives are best achieved when all sectors include health and well-being as a key component of policy development.

The Adelaide Statement may be accessed via the WHO website.

WCPT has recently moved offices to accommodate its expanding team. Our new contact details may be found at http://www.wcpt.org/contact. All email addresses remain unchanged.

Africa region: the next Africa region meeting and congress will take place in Accra, Ghana on 19-23 July 2010. Please email jmothabeng@wcptafrica.org.

South America region: the South America region general meeting will take place on 17 August, followed by their congress on 18-21 August in Santaigo, Chile. For further details go to http://www.congresoclafk2010.com/.