After accepting the Mildred Elson Award at the WCPT Awards Dinner in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9 May 2019, Anne’s contribution was recognised before almost 4,300 physical therapists at the WCPT Congress 2019 opening ceremony in Geneva Arena on 10 May 2019.
Anne is an associate professor in the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health in the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. She is a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
Her most significant contribution has been her leadership and commitment to the promotion of evidence-based physical therapy through the Physiotherapy Evidence Database or PEDro, a freely-available database of more than 43,000 randomised trials, systematic reviews and practice guidelines evaluating the effects of physical therapy is practised internationally and positively influenced the health of millions of people worldwide.
Anne co-founded PEDro in 1999. In 2018 it was used to answer over 2.6 million questions posed by people from 213 countries and territories.
Other awards
The Mildred Elson Award was one of a range of honours presented in Geneva to physical therapists who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession on an international level.
Daniel Wappenstein Deller is the president of the Ecuadorian Society of Physiotherapy and the coordinator of the project humanitarian support in physical therapy earthquake Ecuador 16A. He was presented with a WCPT Humanitarian Service Award 2019.
Christina H Opava was awarded a WCPT Leadership in Rehabilitation Award 2019 for her contribution to the professional advancement of physical therapy. She is a pioneer in the field of physical therapy and rheumatology and her career includes clinical work, teaching, research, and voluntary work. Christina will be presented with her award in Sweden later this year.
Lorena Enebral Perez was presented with a posthumous WCPT Humanitarian Service Award 2019. A Spanish physical therapist, Lorena had worked as a humanitarian aid worker in Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, and the Sahara. In 2016 she began working in Afghanistan. She was fatally shot in 2017 while working with a service user of the ICRC physical rehabilitation centre in Mazar-i-Sharif.
WCPT International Service Awards have also been awarded to:
- Hana I Alsobayel – Saudi Arabia
- Annalie Basson – South Africa
- Sarah Bazin – UK
- Aicha Benyaich – Belgium
- Jennifer M Bottomley – USA
- Gill Brook – UK
- Charlotte Hager – Sweden
- Alice Jones – Hong Kong
- Shunsuke Kudo – Japan
- Brenda Myers – UK
- Guy Simoneau – Canada
About the WCPT Awards
The WCPT awards programme recognises outstanding contributions by physical therapists to the profession and/or global health at an international level. There are several categories of award, all presented every four years at the time of the WCPT General Meeting.
About the WCPT General Meeting and Congress
The WCPT General Meeting took place on 8 and 9 May, and the WCPT Congress was due to take place on 10-13 May. More than 4,300 physical therapists from over 130 countries are expected to attend the WCPT Congress. Find out further details about WCPT Congress 2019.
