Chiropractic Takes Center Stage in Global Occupational Health Promotion
Editorial Staff
On May 14, 2007, David O'Bryon, executive director of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, and Dr. Ron Kirk, Life University professor, serving as delegates of the World Federation of Chiropractic, participated in a series of important meetings at World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva. The meetings, held with high-level leaders of the WHO during the 60th World Health Assembly, focused on improving workers' and children's health through the Straighten Up India spinal health promotion initiative.
Dr. Vasu Pandurangi, founder of the Commonwealth Association for Mental Handicap and Developmental Disabilities, arranged the extended discussions with leaders of the Occupational and Environmental Health Cluster of WHO and the Child and Adolescent Health and Development Cluster of WHO. Over the course of a distinguished service-oriented health career, Dr. Pandurangi has participated in 17 WHO-cosponsored initiatives. WHO leaders participating in the breakthrough discussions included Dr. Ivan Ivanov and Evelyn Kortum of the Occupational and Environmental Health Cluster; Dr. Jose Martines, coordinator of the Children's Health and Development Cluster; and Dr. Asamoa Baah, deputy director general of the WHO, who met individually with Dr. Pandurangi. Scientific officers of the WHO also participated in the discussions.
Through the meetings, Mr. O'Bryon, Dr. Kirk and Dr. Pandurangi garnered support for Straighten Up postural research being conducted in collaboration with the ACC and WHO in Bangalore, India, that nation's IT hub. Additionally, Straighten Up India gained powerful positive momentum, with a commitment from Dr. Ivanov and Ms. Kortum to conduct a Worker Health Workshop in Bangalore, India on Dec. 17-18. Dr. Baah, deputy director general of WHO, and Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, India's minister of health, agreed to participate in the workshop. The workshop will focus on empowering workers in health through spinal health promotion, tobacco-free workplaces and stress reduction in the workplace. The goal of the workshop is to create a model plan of action for health promotion in the workplace for developing nations.
Later in the week (May 16), Dr. Kirk presented Straighten Up and World Spine Day to the General Assembly of the World Federation of Chiropractic during its 9th Biennial Conference in Algarve, Portugal. At the assembly, many national chiropractic associations and individual practitioners reported great success in empowering patients and the public in spinal health promotion through Straighten Up.
To learn more about Straighten Up and how you can empower your office, community and nation in spinal health promotion, visit www.chirotoolbox.straightenupamerica.org, [url=http://www.straightenupaustralia.com.au]http://www.straightenupaustralia.com.au[/url] or www.straightenupuk.org. Chiropractic associations in Hong Kong and South Africa also have launched highly successful Straighten Up public service campaigns. And recently, chiropractors in New Jersey launched Straighten Up New Jersey with excellent results. Public service and chiropractic - that's what Straighten Up is all about. Join us.
Article submitted by Dr. Ron Kirk. A Life University professor, member of the WFC Public Health Committee, and facilitator of the seed and Delphi panels for Straighten Up America, Dr. Kirk provided background on Straighten Up India in the April 23, 2007 issue. Read "Straighten Up India - Bangalore: A Breakthrough in International Public Service and Research for Chiropractic" (www.chiroweb.com/archives/25/09/16.html). To learn more about the Straighten Up program, read "Going Global With Spinal Health" in the July 30, 2006 issue (www.chiroweb.com/archives/24/16/10.html).
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