From the Executive Committee and Secretariat

Seasons greetings from the Executive Committee and staff of WCPT.

Another year is coming to an end and for WCPT it has been a productive and busy one.  Thank you for your support of WCPT and for the physical therapy service you provide around the world. 

We're looking forward to seeing many of you in Amsterdam in June 2011 where we will celebrate the accomplishments of the profession at the WCPT General Meeting and World Physical Therapy 2011. 

With warm wishes for the season and for a productive and happy 2011.

Marilyn Moffat, Zola Dantile, Sylvia Kambalametore, Margot Skinner, Emma Stokes, Sandra Thornhill, Mabel Yvonne Espinel Gonzalez

Brenda Myers, Tracy Bury, Catherine Sykes, Rachel Moore, Mia Lockner, Georgina Green, Stuart Attwood, Titi Ige, Simon Crompton and Dan Moore

If you would like to use all or part of this E-letter for your own newsletters/websites then please feel free. We need your assistance to reach the profession around the world, so please send this e-update to your members.

Art & Health competition

With just over a month to go there is no time to waste - send us your competition entries now before the deadline of 31 January!

Focussing on the theme Movement for Health, WCPT is seeking outstanding pieces of artwork relevant to physical therapy including:

• human movement in health and disease
• people with functional limitations in action
• physical therapy practice across the lifespan

All entries must be submitted electronically (as a JPEG photograph) with the original artwork created in one of the following forms:

• photography
• painting
• drawing
• sculpture

All images should be taken at the best quality available. If a photograph of a sculpture, drawing or painting is being submitted, the artwork must be clearly visible and well lit.

The competition is open to professionals and amateurs alike - all that is required is a passion for your work!  A maximum of 3 entries may be submitted by any one individual. Selected finalists will be shown at WCPT’s Congress, World Physical Therapy 2011, being held in Amsterdam, 20-23 June.

For full details of the competition go to www.wcpt.org/art_health. Please email entries (or direct any enquiries) to Mia Lockner at Tato adresa je chráněna proti spamování, pro její zobrazení potřebujete mít Java scripty povoleny .

Health measurement survey

Since its launch in the early 1990s, the global burden of disease study has produced a highly influential set of findings on the impacts of different diseases, injuries and risk factors on population health. One important contribution of the study has been the development of the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) as a new metric for quantifying losses of healthy life, due either to premature mortality or to time lived in a state of reduced health.

A subsequent study has now been developed where everybody is invited to make his or her view count by participating in the online disability weights measurement survey available at www.gbdsurvey.org. Your participation will provide information that will greatly improve the latest Global Burden of Disease study. This research will update the ground breaking study first published in 1993 that changed the way researchers and health experts around the world thought about global health priorities.

Further information about the goals of the survey may be read in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2010;88:879-879 , "New disability weights for the global burden of disease" at www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/12/10-084301/en/.   

Positive practice environments campaign

The country case studies developed as part of the Positive Practice Environments (PPE) Campaign in Uganda and Zambia are now available on the PPE Campaign website: www.ppecampaign.org.

The studies explore the current key issues facing the health human resource climate in the specific country with particular attention to practice environments, recruitment and retention of the health workforce. The case studies outline the country specific approaches being employed to address the current challenges, in addition to making recommendations to inform the future strategic direction.

Further information about PPE may be found on the WCPT website at www.wcpt.org/node/29151#PPE.

Educata: Amazon voucher offer

Our on-line continuing education partner, Educata, is offering a USD $30 Amazon gift card every time you purchase 5 hours or more - enter coupon code WCPTTHANKS2010 as you check out. Make the most of this holiday gift and the chance to learn from award-winning educators at your pace and in your own place:

1.     Go to http://www.educata.com/courses.aspx.

2.     Select a course or series of lectures (5+ hours)

3.     At checkout, enter coupon code WCPTTHANKS2010

Once you purchase, you have 90 days to view and review the course. Offer valid until 31 December 2010.

If you have an interest in lower back pain then download this month's free article at www.wcpt.org/educata:

Segmental lumbar mobility in individuals with low back pain: in vivo assessment during manual and self-imposed motion using dynamic MRI by Kulig K, Powers CM, Landel RF, et al.