World Physiotherapy joined with partners to take part in the recent 75th World Health Assembly, and supported joint statements as part of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) and the Global Rehabilitation Alliance (GRA).
In separate joint statements with WHPA on non-communicable diseases (NCD) and human resources, World Physiotherapy called on member states to:
- increase public investment in prevention strategies, including the adoption of healthier dietary behaviours and physical exercise
- mobilise investments to retain healthcare professionals in the profession and in their country/territory by providing the support they need to meet their goals. These retention strategies include protection, resourcing, training, career development, and fair remuneration
- improve the safety and sustainability of the healthcare workforce through accountability and instruments that enable data-driven decision-making.
World Physiotherapy also supported a number of individual statements, as part of the GRA, calling on members states to:
- integrate rehabilitation at all levels of the health system, from primary health care, to hospitals and specialised care, across the continuum of NCD care
- include rehabilitation in home/community-based services, which should be locally-owned and adequately-skilled
- leverage rehabilitation onto the WHA agenda, with a view to providing the political framework for stronger commitments and wider coverage
- equip professionals to meet early-rehabilitation needs in emergencies and those of people with pre-existing disabilities or chronic health conditions
- meet the rehabilitation needs of people affected by pandemics, and other groups requiring continuous access to it, by providing rehabilitation services at all levels of health and via alternative modalities like telerehabilitation
- leverage rehabilitation onto the agenda of the WHA, and set commitments to advance rehabilitation.
