WFOT Update

In April 2023, I had the opportunity to spend a month in India on a research fellowship, funded through the Australia India Institute. I was hosted by the Indian Institute of Public Health and a non-government organisation working with women in rural areas who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. We worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders to discuss opportunities for occupational therapy to support recovery, health and wellbeing from an occupational justice perspective. During this time, I was invited to speak with occupational therapy staff and students from five universities and spend a day with our colleagues in the All India Occupational Therapy Association (AIOTA). Occupational therapy in India is vibrant, passionate and growing. AIOTA is working to promote the best standards of occupational therapy as an integral part of health care across rural and urban settings. AIOTA aims to improve accessibility of occupational therapy services in government hospitals, private hospitals, corporate sectors, industry, education and rehabilitation. For 50 years, Indian occupational therapy has been strategically focused on rehabilitation and research to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. The work of AIOTA is founded on core values of competence and commitment. These values were evident to me in the clinics I visited, the discussions I had about complex case studies, the critical and thought-provoking questions from staff and the excitement from students about future opportunities. For therapists interested in learning more about occupational therapy in India, the national conference hosted by AIOTA is held in February every year.

The Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Regional Group (APOTRG) was originally founded as the Asia Pacific OT Network in 1995 in Malaysia. The first meeting was chaired by Professor Tsuyoshi Sato from Japan and initial members included Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Japan. Inclusion was a key priority, and the region group grew to become officially recognised as a member of WFOT in 2006. The aim of the APOTRG is to enhance communication and networking and to promote occupational therapy across the region. Australia is a strong supporter of the APOTRG with Professor Lynette Mackenzie serving as the Vice President and Adam Lo serving as the Secretary. You can follow updates from the APOTRG on Facebook.

The APOTRG has been promoting the Sato Lectureship, an award created in honour of Professor Tsuyoshi Sato to stimulate interest in the development and advancement of occupational therapy in the region. The Sato Lectureship is a keynote address at the Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Congress, to be held in Japan in November 2024. The awardee will be announced in September 2023.

Planning for the 8th Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Congress is well underway. Convenors Ling-Hui Chang (President of the APOTRG) and Haruki Nakamura (President of the Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists) are collaborating to provide a regional congress that offers an opportunity to meet with international colleagues to share innovation, ideas and experiences and to discuss research, practice and education. The theme of the congress is Empowering Collaborative Community: Sustainable and Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy. The call for papers is now open and will close in November 2023. Please see the congress website for details: www.c-linkage.co.jp/apotc2024

The Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research provides pilot funding for a small-scale project to build or strengthen research capacity. Applications must align with the WFOT research priorities and applications are due by the 29 October 2023. Visit wfot.org/news and search for ‘Thelma Cardwell’ for more information.