The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT)

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT)

what is WCPT?
The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) is an international non-profit professional organisation founded in 1951. The Confederation is supported by subscriptions from its 101 Member Organisations and through them it represents over 300,000 physical therapists worldwide.
Membership

WCPT is a confederation of national physical therapy associations. Only one national organisation per country may be in membership. A national organisation representing physical therapists must meet set criteria before being admitted to WCPT membership.

Individual physical therapists are not direct members of WCPT. As a member of a national professional association that is a member of WCPT, individual physical therapists are linked to WCPT.

Member Organisations are organised into five regional groupings: Africa; Asia Western Pacific; Europe; North America Caribbean; South America.


Subgroups
WCPT Subgroups have a specific area of interest and are important international physical therapy organisations in their own right. They promote the advancement of physical therapy in their field, and are organised to exchange scientific knowledge.
WCPT Subgroups:

* International Acupuncture Association of Physical Therapists (IAAPT)
* International Association of Physical Therapists Working with Older People (IPTOP)
* International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapists (IFOMT)
* International Federation of Sports Physiotherapy (IFSP)
* International Organisation of Physical Therapists in Paediatrics (IOPTP)
* International Organisation of Physical Therapists in Women's Health (IOPTWH)
* International Private Practitioners Association (IPPA)



History
The World Confederation for Physical Therapy was founded in 1951 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with 11 founding Member Organisations from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, France, Sweden and the United States of America.

The first international Congress and Second General Meeting were held in 1953, where the first Executive Committee was elected.

Administrative services were provided by the Secretary of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which provided a base for the Confederation for its first decade.

During this time, membership increased to 16 organisations, even though WCPT had no regular income and depended on voluntary donations from its Member Organisations and occasional grants from other international bodies. By 1961, an annual per capita subscription had been established, separate office accommodation in London had been obtained and a Secretary General had been employed.

The Confederation consolidated its international position by attaining consultative status with the United Nations and official relationship with the World Health Organization. It also forged links with voluntary international bodies like Rehabilitation International, the World Medical Association, and United Nations agencies such as UNICEF.

In 1991, a change in structure of the Confederation resulted in five WCPT Regions with autonomous regional committees being established. The intention was to encourage opportunities for more frequent contact among members with similar cultural, economic and social outlooks.

Early in the new millennium WCPT celebrated its 50th anniversary by holding a meeting of Member Organisations on Evidence Based Practice. The event underlined the coming of age of WCPT and the profession with a focus on the relationship between research evidence and practice, and the role that WCPT can play in supporting the exchange of information and knowledge around the world.


WCPT Awards Programme

Introduction
At the 15th WCPT General Meeting a motion was adopted to explore the feasibility of developing additional awards to recognise outstanding contributions by individual members of Member Organisations. Award categories suggested were humanitarian contributions, clinical practice, research, education, or service.


After reviewing WCPT’s current awards and its quadrennial recognition of leaders within WCPT, the Executive Committee agreed to proceed with the implementation of an expanded awards programme for 2007.


Objectives
The Awards Programme will provide one way to acknowledge the international leadership and service of individual physical therapists across WCPT Regions, Subgroups and Member Organisations. The objectives of the programme are to:

* recognise leadership and service to WCPT and to the profession
* provide a mechanism to recognise individuals/groups external to WCPT & physical therapy who have made an exceptional contribution to the profession and/or global health


In addition to awards through nomination, WCPT will recognise individuals who have contributed to WCPT as chairs of regions and subgroups and through membership on committees.


Awards
International Leadership - Mildred Elson Award
International Service to the Profession - practice, education, research, administration and policy
Service to Humanity - Humanitarian Service
External to Physical Therapy - Leadership in Rehabilitation
Recognition of Service to WCPT
International Leadership
Mildred Elson Award

The highest honour awarded to a physical therapist by WCPT. It is given for sustained and continuous leadership over a career. Nominations are accepted from Member Organisations.

History
The Mildred Elson Award was established in 1987 with funds donated by the American Physical Therapy Association. Mildred Elson was the first President of WCPT and the first recipient of the award in 1987. Recipients since then have been:

1991: Elizabeth McKay - Past Secretary General of WCPT
1995: Geoffrey Maitland - Clinician, teacher and author
1999: Joan Walker - Educator, researcher
2003: Marilyn Moffat - Educator, clinician, author

2007: Jules Rothstein - Researcher, writer, educator


Purpose
The award is for sustained and continuous leadership over a career and is to honour physical therapists who, like Mildred Elson, have contributed significantly to the development of physical therapy on an international basis through their efforts, dedication and leadership.

International Service to the Profession
Service in the areas of physical therapy education, practice, research or administration & policy development
Service awards are given in recognition of an exceptional contribution at the international and/or regional levels in education, research, practice or administration & policy development. Nominations are accepted from Member Organisations, Regions and Subgroups. More than one award may be given in each area and the number will depend on the merit of the nominations received.

Service to Humanity
Humanitarian Service
Awarded to physical therapist members of Member Organisations in recognition of their humanitarian service. Nominations are accepted from Member Organisations, Regions and Subgroups. The number of awards will be based on the merit of the nominations received.

External to Physical Therapy

Leadership in Rehabilitation
The purpose of the leadership in rehabilitation award is to recognise a group or individual outside the profession who has made an exceptional contribution to physical therapy and/or rehabilitation and/or global health. Nominations may be submitted by Member Organisations, Regions, Subgroups or Executive Committee and the award will be given once in 4 years if nominations are received.


Recognition of Service to WCPT
In addition to awards through nomination, WCPT will recognise individuals who have contributed to WCPT as chairs of regions and subgroups and through membership on committees.



World Physical Therapy Day
WCPT has designated 8th September, the date WCPT was founded in 1951, as World Physical Therapy Day. Read press release


The intention is that this day be used to recognise the work that physical therapists do for their patients and their community, and to support them in their efforts to promote the profession and to advance their clinical expertise.

This day marks the unity and solidarity of the physical therapy community from 101 countries around the world.

Celebration of the day is voluntary and activities & materials to celebrate the day are left to Member Organisations so that they can be developed to reflect key national priorities & messages.

Many WCPT Member Organisations already have designated national physical therapy days, weeks and months and it is not the intention that these be changed to accommodate the world day. However, organisations that have not designated a day may choose to use 8th September.

This year, and in future years, WCPT will be supporting member organisations in their efforts for the day with a toolkit of materials.


taken from : http://wcpt.org