Suh-Fang Jeng, World Physiotherapy vice president, has been presented with the Lily Huang Award – the highest honour for Taiwanese physiotherapists.
The award recognises Suh-Fang’s long-term devotion and enthusiasm for the profession in Taiwan and around the world. The presentation of the award took place at the 社團法人臺灣物理治療學會/Taiwan Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) annual meeting on 23 March 2024.
Wendy Wang, TPTA president, said: “Professor Jeng won the award because she has extended her enthusiasm from the physiotherapy profession to health care issues, from Taiwan to the world.
“She has actively promoted the profession and cultivated young physical therapists through various channels, including clinical practice, education, and research. She continues to advocate and promote the profession, and she also establishes international networks and partnerships to assist countries with limited resources.”
Suh-Fang is the professor of the school and graduate institute of physical therapy at the National Taiwan University. Her professional expertise is in paediatric physiotherapy and early intervention. She has devoted herself to the development of the profession for the past 30 years, in Taiwan and around the world.
As the chair of school and graduate institute of physical therapy, 2007-2013, and TPTA president, 2011-2017, Suh-Fang played an important role in educational reform and advocating for professional autonomy. She has advocated for sharing the experience of the profession in Taiwan to benefit the world and enhanced the global visibility of Taiwan. The PEDS programme, established in 2018 for collaborative care for better neonatal health in South Asia, is one of her legacies.
The award is in memory of Lily Huang, a pioneer of the profession in Taiwan and one of the first physiotherapists trained in Taiwan. Physiotherapy education in Taiwan began in the 1960s, with the assistance of overseas physiotherapists and WHO personnel. Lily graduated from the National Taiwan University in 1971, among the first intake of a 4-year BSc programme, and immediately devoted herself and her life to the development of the profession and education. To commemorate her passion, contribution, and significance in Taiwan's physiotherapy profession, TPTA set up the Lily Huang Award in 1991.
