Argentina: At a recent WFC Council meeting, an application for membership filed by the Asociación Nacional Argentina de Quiropractica (ANAQ), representing 12 chiropractors, was endorsed by the council and will now come before the WFC Assembly next year for formal membership. The ANAQ president is Dr. Raul Cadagan, a graduate of SCUHS/LACC, and its other members are graduates from an Anglo-European College of Chiropractic conversion program given in 2004/2005 to Chilean and Argentinean students with previous qualifications in medicine or kinesiology. Contact: Dr. Raul Cadagan at quiro2001@aol.com or anaq@clinicadeartrosis.com.ar.
Australia: The Chiropractors' Association of Australia (CAA) is now implementing a well-planned, multifaceted and long-term campaign to advance the roles of wellness and the chiropractic profession in the Australian health care system. This seems to be the leading chiropractic initiative in this field internationally. Aspects include curriculum review at Australia's three university-based chiropractic schools; funding the development of a university-based Master's of Science in Wellness degree program open to all health professionals, together with other certificate and CE programs for chiropractors; establishing a wellness education program led by a chiropractor in the government program for aboriginal peoples in rural/remote areas; and influencing health policy on wellness through a new CAA office in the capital city of Canberra.
Another major CAA wellness initiative is a Scientific Symposium and Policy Forum, to be held in Sydney Aug. 12-13, 2006. This meeting, co-sponsored by the New Zealand Chiropractors' Association and the Chiropractic Association (Singapore), will look at current health care policy and funding and why and how to bring about change from the perspective of health promotion and wellness. Award-winning papers presented will later be published in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia.
Finally, the CAA has major spinal health outreach programs to schools and the community.
It supports a Healthy Spines National Health Promotion Program developed by CAA member Dr. Paula Stacey, which has been extremely well-received by schools during the past four years, and has now transformed the Straighten Up America program into a Straighten Up Australia version, which has been a great success with CAA members and the community. Visit www.straightenupaustralia.com.au for more information.
Canada: The Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) is progressing successfully with its long-range plan to establish a highly qualified chiropractic researcher in a chiropractic research chair in a major university in each of Canada's nine provinces. The ultimate goal is tenured positions with government/public funding not only for these researchers and their work, but also for the several chiropractic PhD candidates who will work under each of them. Initially, the chiropractic research chairs are jointly funded by the CCA and the university/government. The recent appointment of Dr. Jean Sebastian Blouin to a chiropractic research chair at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, follows earlier appointments of Dr. Greg Kawchuk at the University of Alberta and Dr. Mark Erwin at the University of Toronto. Dr. Erwin's doctoral and postdoctoral work has been in the field of disc physiology and prevention of disc degeneration, a field in which he is now developing a leading international reputation, as well as greatly influencing attitudes toward the profession and its research capacity.
Cyprus: The WFC's first Eastern Mediterranean Regional Meeting and Technique Seminar was held in Lemesos, Cyprus, May 12-13, 2006, and featured a two-day technique seminar by Dr. Tom Bergmann of Northwestern Health Sciences University. A goal of this meeting, and others to be held in the Eastern Mediterranean region over the next two years, is to activate national associations, a regional body and more legislative recognition of the chiropractic profession in the region. New leaders attending included Dr. Amy Bowzaylo (Saudi Arabia), Dr. Aurelie Belsot (Turkey), Dr. Ahmet Dassouki (United Arab Emirates), Dr. Hany El Bibany (Egypt) and Dr. Ayman Kani (Lebanon). The next WFC Eastern Mediterranean Regional Meeting currently is being planned for February 2007, to be held in either Egypt or Saudi Arabia. Contact Dr. Efstathios Papadopoulos for more information at epeco@spidernet.com.cy.
Czech Republic/Slovakia: Dr. Craig Morris of Slovakia/USA and other chiropractic clinicians influenced by the work of Professor Karel Lewit will be attending and making presentations at a Czech/Slovak Conference on the Problem of Disturbed Function in the Motor System, to be held at Olomouc in the Czech Republic, Oct. 12-14, 2006. The many international participants at the meeting also will be celebrating the 90th birthday of Dr. Lewit and commemorating his leadership in the field of myoskeletal and musculoskeletal medicine. For those interested in attending, please visit www.conference.cz/myoskeletalmed2006. For additional questions, contact Dr. Morris at rehabdoc1958@hotmail.com.
Mexico: The WFC/Association of Chiropractic Colleges Education Conference on Identity, co-sponsored by the U.S. National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, takes place in Cancun, October 25-28, 2006. For all information visit "Events" at www.wfc.org. Host organization is the Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepec (UNEVE), the state university in Mexico City, which has Mexico's new and only school of chiropractic - developed in conjunction with Northwestern Health Sciences University and Parker College. WFC leaders will visit UNEVE to address students and faculty at the time of the conference. Other organizations in Mexico supporting the Conference are the Colegio de Profesionistas Científico-Quiroprácticos de Mexico AC (Colegio), which has regulatory authority in Mexico and is led by Dr. Enrique Benet Canut, president, and the Asociacion Mexicana de Quiroprácticos (AMQ). The AMQ, a professional association which represents 58 members, is led by Dr. Maria Mercedes Montano D'Acosta of Mexico City (president) and Dr. Moises Resnick of Cancun (secretary). Mexico currently has only 80 duly qualified chiropractors.
An important feature of the chiropractic student body at UNEVE is that students come from a wide cross-section of socioeconomic backgrounds. This is possible because tuition is fully state-funded. In addition, graduates are initially provided with funded hospital positions to further their clinical training and provide services to those otherwise unable to afford chiropractic care. With other universities in Mexico now showing strong interest in further chiropractic programs, it is anticipated that there will be major growth in the profession in Mexico during the next decade.
South Africa: The Chiropractic Association of South Africa (CASA) reports that chiropractic in South Africa is experiencing steady growth and success now that there are two well-established chiropractic schools in South Africa - at the Durban Institute of Technology and the University of Johannesburg - and graduates are doing well in practice and moving into leadership positions. CASA President Dr. Kendrah Da Silva is a Durban graduate.
Chiropractic practice is regulated by law in South Africa, and CASA now has 275 members. Public and government acceptance of the profession are good. There are still few chiropractors in other African countries; for example, in Botswana (2), Ghana (4), Kenya (5), Mozambique (2), Namibia (7), Uganda (2) and Zimbabwe (4).
