Our work includes:
- reviewing the existing physiotherapy practice within a country
- looking at how we can help build an educational approach that is appropriate for that country
- starting to develop a continuum of ongoing educational opportunities, which may include improving the entry level programme, and providing continuing professional development.
Alongside that, World Physiotherapy works with each country’s professional association to help raise awareness of what contemporary physiotherapy looks like and to encourage them to consider ways of moving towards international standards.
Long-term effectiveness
Key to the long-term effectiveness of our work is giving physiotherapists in each country the skills to continue to develop the work once the project ends.
Not only do the projects help develop professional physiotherapy skills, they also develop leadership, advocacy, and management skills. These in turn can be used to influence within the health care sector and at government level.
“We want to make sure that what we do is successful, so others will see the benefit and want to be involved,” says Sidy.
The projects are primarily funded by aid agencies and external funding grants, while we also draw on members of World Physiotherapy to provide short-term support to individual projects.
As each country begins to develop appropriate training and standards, their professional body may then become eligible for membership of World Physiotherapy, further strengthening the global reach of the profession and acting as a beacon for other associations to follow.
Ultimately it will ensure, globally, that people have access to appropriate physiotherapy services.