#PPE4PT advocacy campaign

Physiotherapists have a critical role to play in maintaining the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities around the world during the coronavirus pandemic.

But many physiotherapists, like their colleagues in other healthcare roles, are being placed in unacceptable risk because they are not being provided with the correct personal protective equipment they need to do their jobs.

Personal protective equipment may include googles, face shields, gloves, gowns, hair coverings, footwear.

Jonathon Kruger, World Physiotherapy chief executive officer, said: ‘Coronavirus is impacting every country in the world. We represent physiotherapists in 121 countries.

‘Our member organisations are telling us their members are being encouraged to see patients without having the appropriate level of personal protective equipment. This is risky and unacceptable. The lack of personal protective equipment increases the risk physiotherapists will contract this disease at their workplaces.

‘We call on governments around the world to provide the correct personal protective equipment for all physiotherapists. Our #PPE4PT advocacy campaign will support our member organisations and help them raise the issue of personal protective equipment for physiotherapists with their governments.

‘Providing personal protective equipment for physiotherapists will make sure they are able to do what they do best – help people return to their previous level of functioning.’

Our #PPE4PT advocacy campaign pack includes videos, letters, factsheets, and a toolkit. The campaign materials are available in English, French, and Spanish and can be used to support physiotherapists in different countries and raise the profile of physiotherapists and their role in the response to COVID-19.