Global Health
The Global Health Division (GHD) is comprised of a passionate group of physical therapists who have worked in or are interested in working in resource-poor settings globally. We advocate for sustainable collaboration that elevates the profession of physiotherapy worldwide.
Upcoming Webinar: March 14th
đź“Ł Applications are open!
The Indigenous Student Scholarship is open to all Canadian Indigenous students who are First Nation (status or non-status), Inuit or MĂ©tis and who are enrolled in any year of a full-time accredited Canadian post-secondary physiotherapy program
GHD Bursary deadline 15 March 2024
The GHD Global Physiotherapy Bursary, valued at up to $500, is awarded annually to one or more successful candidates who are members of the GHD. The funding must be used for one of the following:
- Attending a Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) Congress.
- Attending a World Physiotherapy Congress.
- Attending an educational event (in-person or virtually) related to global health.
- Engaging in socially responsible global health volunteering, work, or research, which may include, but is not limited to, humanitarian work abroad, emergency preparedness/response, inner city health, vulnerable housed populations, rural and remote health, newcomers to Canada health, Indigenous health, social justice, and health equity.
If selected as a bursary winner, the candidate will be required to contribute a post or video to the GHD blog, within one month of attending the event or completing the volunteer, work, or research initiative.
Application Deadline: March 15th 2024
What is Global Health?
“Global health” is a widely used but poorly understood term. There are many ways to conceptualize and understand global health, all of which influence how global health issues are understood and the initiatives that are generated to address them. Therefore, the Global Health Division consciously looks to social justice for guidance on our activities in an effort to promote health equity (CSDH, 2008).To elaborate, social justice refers to the equitable distribution of resources within a society that are fundamental to a person’s health and therefore investigates the sources of disparities in society and strives to eradicate them (CNA, 2010).
The Global Health Division supports the following definition of global health: “…an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global health emphasises transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration ; and is a synthesis of population-based prevention with individual-level clinical care.” (Koplan et al., 2009)
The Global Health Division (GHD) is comprised of a passionate group of physical therapists who have worked in or are interested in working in resource-poor settings globally. We advocate for sustainable collaboration that elevates the profession of physiotherapy worldwide.
Is Global Health the same thing as International Health?
When we think of global health, we often envision work abroad, however “[the] global in global health refers to the scope of problems, not their location” (Koplan et al., 2009). On the other hand, international health has traditionally referred to health work conducted abroad, often in resource-poor countries and focused on issues such as infectious diseases, maternal and child health and hygiene (Brown, Cueto & Fee, 2006). Therefore, although the terms global health and international health are often used interchangeably, they refer to different kinds of work.
In 2013, the International Health Division was renamed the Global Health Division, a name which more accurately reflects its vision, mission, objectives and activities. This reframing allowed for the opportunity to reflect on the global health issues within our own country. For instance, Indigenous Peoples living in Canada experience health disparities as compared to non-Indigenous Peoples (Allan & Smylie, 2015). The health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples hasbeen, and continues to be, shaped by colonization (Mowbray, 2007). Therefore, the Indigenous Health Section was established in 2015 in an effort to equip physiotherapists with the knowledge and skills to better serve Indigenous Peoples. As well, the Indigenous Health Representative position was instituted to ensure that Indigenous voices are present within the GHD Executive Committee.
What is the role of physiotherapy in global health?
Worldwide, more than 1 billion people are estimated to live with a disability (WHO, 2011). Additionally, there is a greater prevalence of disability in resource-poor countries as compared to high-income countries (WHO, 2011). To further complicate matters, there is a significant disparity in terms of the supply of physiotherapy globally (WHO 2011). In summary, there are a lot of people living with disabilities in low-and-middle-income countries who have the potential to benefit from physiotherapy services.
Indeed, Canadian physiotherapists may have a unique and expanding role to play in global health work (Alappat et al., 2007). There are many ways that physiotherapists can participate in global health work beyond direct patient care, extending into activities such as advocating for and developing rehabilitation programmes (Alappat et al., 2007). As well, physiotherapists are increasingly involved within the international trend to implement Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) as a strategy for sustainable and effective development of the health and social sectors.
The question is then: what skills, knowledge and qualities must physiotherapists possess in order to do ethical and effective global health work? The GHD strives to help members answer this question through providing resources via our website and monthly communications, hosting teleconferences, developing policies, encouraging networking within our members, collaborating with our international colleagues, to name a few.
Our Vision
The vision of the GHD is to become a strong advocate group for the role of physiotherapists in the area of global health. The GHD strives to become a reliable and valuable resource for its members, through providing access to research, policies, experiences of other members, and opportunities. The GHD aims to foster an understanding of how socioeconomic determinants of health underpin health inequities and how global work comprises responsible strategies to achieve health equity. The GHD strives to support its members to get involved in ethical, collaborative, sustainable and effective global health work. The GHD endeavours to promote the wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples through advocating for changes within the physiotherapy profession in the spirit of reconciliation.
Our Mission
The mission of the Global Health Division (GHD) is to advocate for the unique role that physiotherapists have in global health and to encourage Canadian physiotherapists to engage in ethical global health work.
Objectives
- To provide a forum for members of the CPA who are interested in all aspects of global health through the provision of timely and useful information on the GHD’s website.
- To acquire and make available information and educational materials as related to physical therapy in the field of global health.
- To encourage the development and publication of research in the field of global health in Canada and elsewhere.
- To provide an information database regarding global health volunteer opportunities.
- To provide networking/collaboration opportunities for members.
- To provide information regarding courses and workshop linked to global health and physical therapy.
- To provide an opportunity for information and experience exchange annually among physical therapists at the CPA Congress.
Activities
- Take a look at the 2020-2022 Goals for the Indigenous Health Sub-Committee.
- Our very own Amanda Fortin, GHD Indigenous Health Sub-Committee Representative, had been the Guest Editor in the Sept-Oct 2019 issue of Physiotherapy Practice magazine!
- Check out Footsteps to Freedom – Tales of Therapy in Rural India by GHD’s own Hilary Crowley. All proceeds go to Samuha.
- Read the GHD’s latest blog posts
- Ongoing website development in order to provide information, resources and communicate global health opportunities for physical therapists
- Provide leadership to the CPA regarding global trends and emerging issues related to health, disability and rehabilitation
- Provide logistical support regarding global health events at the annual CPA Congress
- Participate in awarding the recipient of the annual CPA Global Health Award at CPA Congress
References
Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Geneva, World Health Organization. 2008.
Canadian Nurses Association. Social justice… A means to an end, an end in itself (2nd Edition). Ottawa, Canadian Nurses Association. 2010.
Koplan JP, Bond TC, Merson MH, Reddy S, Rodriguez MH, Sewankambo NK, Wasserheit JN: Towards a common definition of global health. Lancet 2009, 373(9679):1993-95.
Brown TM, Cueto M, Fee E. The World Health Organization and the transition from “international” to “global” public health. Am J Public Health 2006, 96(1):62–72.
Mowbray M. Social determinants and Indigenous health: the international experience and its policy implications. Report on specially prepared documents, presentations and discussions at the International Symposium on the Social Determinants of Indigenous Health. Geneva, World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health. 2007.
World Health Organization. World report on disability. Geneva, World Health Organization. 2011.
Alappat C, Siu G, Penfold A, McGovern B, McFarland J, Raman S, Landry MD. Role of Canadian Physical Therapists in Global Health Initiatives: SWOT Analysis. Physiother Can. 2007;59:272-285.
Allan B, Smylie J. First Peoples, second class treatment: The role of racism in the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada [Executive Summary]. Toronto, ON, the Wellesley Institute. 2015.
Date limite pour la bourse DSM : 15 mars 2024
La bourse DSM Global Physiotherapy Bursary, d’une valeur maximale de 500$, est attribuĂ©e chaque annĂ©e Ă un ou plusieurs candidats retenus qui sont membres de la DSM. Le financement doit ĂŞtre utilisĂ© pour l’une des raisons suivantes:
- Assister Ă un congrès de l’Association canadienne de physiothĂ©rapie (ACP).
- Participation à un congrès mondial de physiothérapie.
- Assister à un événement éducatif (en personne ou virtuellement) lié à la santé mondiale.
- S’engager dans du bĂ©nĂ©volat, un travail ou de la recherche en santĂ© mondiale socialement responsable, qui peut inclure, sans s’y limiter, le travail humanitaire Ă l’Ă©tranger, la prĂ©paration/rĂ©ponse en cas d’urgences, la santĂ© dans les centres-villes, les personnes en situations de logement prĂ©caire, la santĂ© dans les rĂ©gions rurales et Ă©loignĂ©es, la santĂ© des nouveaux arrivants au Canada, la santĂ© des autochtones, la justice sociale et l’Ă©quitĂ© en terme de santĂ©.
Si sĂ©lectionnĂ©.e comme laurĂ©at.e d’une bourse, le ou la candidat.e devra publier un article ou une vidĂ©o sur le blog de la DSM, dans le mois suivant sa participation Ă l’Ă©vĂ©nement ou la rĂ©alisation de l’initiative de bĂ©nĂ©volat, de travail ou de recherche.
Date limite d’inscription : 15 mars 2024
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