The first congress of the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) in 1991 in Toronto, Canada was the single most impressive professional meeting ever sponsored by the chiropractic profession. Chiropractic national associations from 42 countries were represented and 32 countries became the first members of the WFC. Each of the 32 countries is represented by a single national association, with the exception of the U.S., which has dual representation by the ACA and ICA. (See June 7, 1991 issue of "DC".)
The 1993 WFC Congress, scheduled May 27-29 in London, England, looks to be an even more impressive event now that the World Health Organization (WHO) is an official co-sponsor. The WHO is an autonomous agency headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland with ties to the United Nations. Its mission is the attainment of the highest standard of health worldwide.
The theme of the congress will be "Chiropractic and Occupational Health." The opening speakers will be Princess Diana of Wales, patron of the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, and Dr. Mikhail Mikheev, a Russian physician who is director of the WHO's office of occupational health in Geneva.
The WFC is also working on the WHO's manual on chiropractic and occupational health that is due to be published in several languages.
"Our collaboration with the WHO is proving very important for the international growth and acceptance of the profession," said WFC President, Gary Auerbach, D.C., form Tucson.
Dr. Auerbach has been visiting Geneva every year since 1982 for the WHO's annual May assembly. In fact, the experiences gathered at those assemblies were an important motivating factor in the decision to form the WFC in 1988.
In 1990, the WFC's annual council meeting was combined with the WHO meeting. An international contingent of 12 chiropractors was represented. The DCs were able to meet and establish contact with ministers of health and other government representatives from around the world that is today paying off with the WHO's greater recognition of chiropractic.
"The thing that closed the deal on WHO sponsorship of the 1993 Congress, said Scott Haldeman, D.C., M.D., Ph.D., chair of the WFC Research Council, "was the distribution of the January 1992 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics to WHO officials. It was the quality of this research ... that gave them the confidence to proceed."
The congress will feature lectures from leading researchers along with platform and poster presentations of current research relevant to chiropractic.
