13th General Assembly of the "World Physiotherapy Europe Region"

13ª Assembleia-Geral da “Região Europa da World Physiotherapy”

The President of the Order of Physiotherapists, António Lopes, was present as an observer at the 13th General Assembly of the "World Physiotherapy Europe Region", which took place on 19 and 20 May in Prague, Czechia. The participation of António Lopes, who has already been chairman of this organisation between 1998 and 2010, allowed him to find out about the work in progress and the priorities for the next two years of activity, which the Order will take on when it becomes a member. The Order of Physiotherapists has already applied to join World Physiotherapy, with effect from January 2023.

Among the projects underway at World Physiotherapy are the programme to publicise the importance of physiotherapy in the prevention and rehabilitation of oncological conditions, as part of the European plan entitled "EU Commission Beating Cancer Plan", and "InAbled Cities: Developing Inclusive urban environments for physical activity for people with disabilities and senior citizens", a programme that aims to promote physical activity in urban environments for people with disabilities and/or over 65.

At the 13th General Assembly of the World Physiotherapy Europe Region, issues related to the support and development of physiotherapy research and the definition of the minimum competences that should be required in initial training for access to the profession were also addressed.

By participating in this regional organisation of World Physiotherapy, the Order of Physiotherapists aims to maintain a close relationship and interaction with the organisations representing physiotherapists from the 37 countries that make up the Order.

To find out more about the Europe Region of World Physiotherapy visit - https://www.erwcpt.eu/

Meeting of the Order of Physiotherapists with the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists

Encontro da Ordem dos Fisioterapeutas com a Associação Portuguesa de Fisioterapeutas

The Board of the Order of Physiotherapists (OF) met with the new National Board of the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists (APFISIO).

The meeting, which took place on 10 May, was attended by President António Lopes and members Pedro Rebelo and Afonso Neutel, representing the Order, and President Maria João Bigode and Vice-President Sérgio Neto, representing the Association.

Greetings were presented to APFISIO's newly elected governing bodies and the most relevant issues of the institutional relationship between the Order and the Association were analysed, under the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2020, in which it was agreed to establish the progressive and necessary conditions so that, as soon as possible, the Order of Physiotherapists will have a seat, by affiliation, in World Physiotherapy.

In this context, the Order, as the structure that regulates Physiotherapy and Physiotherapists in Portugal, informed that it would formalise its candidacy for the World Physiotherapy (WP), with effect from January 2023, and APFISIO naturally recognised this candidacy.

In order not to suddenly interrupt the work that has been carried out by APFISIO's Interest Groups, which would automatically lose international representation at the WP, the Order of Physiotherapists has guaranteed that it will ensure that the endorsement of all the groups, on a transitional basis, until the Order's own representative structures are in a position to take on membership of the international organisation.   

 The endorsement will be analysed in due course by the Order with each Interest Group individually and with APFisio's National Board of Directors, depending on the characteristics and needs of each one.

The Order of Physiotherapists and the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists also agreed to hold regular meetings to clarify their respective roles in pursuing the goals of developing physiotherapy in Portugal and increasing literacy as an important step in affirming the profession.

 

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