WHO INVITES ISPRM
By JOHN L. Melvin, MD, MMSc
The Disability and Rehabilitation Team (WHO/DAR Team) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has formally invited the ISPRM to send a representative to the WHO Second Informal Meeting on Medical Rehabilitation. J. Melvin, Past-President and member of the WHO Liaison Committee, will attend on behalf of the ISPRM.
WHO published in 1981 its current document containing the official recommendations of WHO to Member States in the field of Medical Rehabilitation. This document, Report of the WHO Expert Committee on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, needs replacement because of the extensive changes in the field of medical rehabilitation since 1981.
The process for replacement involves convening a study group to make an official revision of a background document. This official revision will be distributed to the Member States and the WHO World Health Assembly for review and possible further revision. The Assembly will have to approve the final version of the new Report for its recommendations to be official.
The Member States of the WHO are the various countries of the world. Often these countries will adopt as their health policy the official recommendations of the WHO. Thus, the deliberations of such meetings can have great influence including determining how medical rehabilitation might be delivered, organized and financed.
The WHO invited the ISPRM to participate because it is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in official relation with the WHO. This means the ISPRM periodically develops plans of collaboration that the WHO approves after reviewing the success of the previous three year plan. To maintain its NGO status it is important the ISPRM monitor throughout the three year periods its progress towards accomplishing the goals in the collaboration plan. As an NGO, the ISPRM also receives invitations to participate in the WHO World Health Assemblies where it has final opportunities to influence the recommendations of the WHO.
In the past the ISPRM and its predecessor organization did not take advantage of these opportunities to participate in the development of international health policy. As medical rehabilitation becomes more of a core health service it will become more important that the views of the ISPRM are considered in these policy discussions.
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