28 Ene World Physiotherapy eNews – Enero 2026

World Physiotherapy welcomes three new member organisations

Three new member organisations were admitted to World Physiotherapy last month by an electronic vote of the membership.

Membership of World Physiotherapy took effect on 1 January 2026.

The new member organisations are:

• Botswana Physiotherapy Association
• انجمن فیزیوتراپی ایران/Iranian Physiotherapy Association
• الجمعية العراقية للعلاج الطبيعي/Iraqi Association for Physiotherapy

World Physiotherapy regional summit takes place

World Physiotherapy regional chairs and vice chairs from its Africa, Asia Western Pacific, Europe, North America Caribbean, and South America regions met in Istanbul, Türkiye for a two-day summit to collaborate and exchange experiences and ideas.

The summit was empowering and highly collaborative, strengthening connections between regions and the World Physiotherapy executive board and staff.

 Discussions highlighted the value of learning from colleagues in different contexts, with the exchange of experiences and best practices helping regional executive committee members identify common challenges as well as unique perspectives.

World Physiotherapy region conferences in 2026

Did you know that four of World Physiotherapy’s five regions are holding a conference this year?

South America region, 17-18 April 2026, in Punta del Este, Uruguay

Registration is now open – register by 2 March to benefit from advance rates. Visit the conference website to register and find out more about the programme

Africa region, 5-6 June 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda

Save up to 36% on your registration fee and register at the early bird rate by 16 February.

AWP region, 26-27 September 2026, in New Delhi, India.

Register by 31 March to benefit from advance rates. Submit your abstract before the 30 April deadline.

Europe region, 5-6 November 2026, in Madrid, Spain

Visit the conference website to submit an abstract before the 10 March deadline, and find out more about the conference.

World Physiotherapy visits Ecuador and Panama

At the end of last year World Physiotherapy visited Ecuador and Panama. The visits were designed to advance efforts to strengthen the physiotherapy profession and expand access to local rehabilitation services.

Ann Nicholson, World Physiotherapy’s development programme manager, said: “By collaborating with governments and international organisations, World Physiotherapy is helping to make sure that rehabilitation is recognised as an essential component of healthcare, enabling people in Ecuador and Panama to access the quality physiotherapy services they need.”