WCPT Press Release

WCPT - Press release.
The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) this week becomes a member of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) - the international organisation representing health professions. Other members include the global bodies for nurses, physicians, dentists and pharmacists.
The WHPA is now the world's largest and most powerful body for health professionals. Through its five constituent professional bodies (see list below), which now include WCPT, it represents more than 600 national member organisations, speaking for 26 million health professionals in more than 130 countries.
WCPT's normal independent campaigning and collaborations will continue. But by also joining a global voice for health professionals, WCPT believes physical therapists will have more influence on campaigning issues, and will have new opportunities to inform initiatives that could benefit millions of patients and service users.
"Joining this coalition gives us the opportunity to work collaboratively with the world's other health professions, while in no way compromising our independence," says WCPT President Marilyn Moffat. "By pooling our resources and expertise, we are able to tackle global health issues more effectively and ensure that patients/clients and health care systems benefit."
For WCPT, the WHPA provides another communication channel between the health professions and key bodies in global health, such as the World Health Organization. The WHPA is particularly concerned with:
- public health
- patient safety
- human rights in health
- regulation of the health professions and collaborative practice
- health human resources and workforce issues
- health care systems
- counterfeit medicines

The Alliance develops statements, fact sheets and advocacy tools on current health issues to influence policy and practice at global, national, and regional levels. It has brought together world health professions on several important initiatives in human rights, patient safety, tobacco control, health human resources and regulation of the health professions, and is currently running campaigns including:
- the Positive Practice Environment campaign for health professionals, focusing on quality workplaces that attract and retain staff, improve patient satisfaction, safety and outcomes, and deliver cost-effective services
- the Be Aware campaign to fight against counterfeit medical products
"The priorities and campaigns of WHPA are very much in tune with those of WCPT," said Marilyn Moffat.

WHPA member organisations
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) - a federation of national nurses associations, representing the more than 13 million nurses working worldwide.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) - the global federation of national organisations of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists representing more than two million pharmacists around the world.
The FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) - a federation of approximately 200 national dental associations and specialist groups representing more than one million dentists worldwide.
The World Medical Association (WMA) - the global federation of national medical associations from around the world, directly and indirectly representing the views of more than nine million physicians.
The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) - the global voice for physical therapists/physiotherapists, with 101 national member organisations representing over 350,000 members of the profession.

For more information about WHPA

Go to: http://www.whpa.org/