The International Health Division (IHD) of the CPA and Handicap International Canada have recently signed an agreement which will see the two organizations work together on areas of mutual interest. As part of this, the IHD has agreed to assist Handicap International in their efforts to fill international employment and volunteer opportunities by making this information more readily available to physiotherapists. Check the opportunities section of this website for the latest information on Handicap International postings.

Handicap International would like to stress that potential candidates should carefully read the requirements of the job or volunteer opportunities to make sure they meet the criteria.

The Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR) have made recent and previous editions of their newsletter available on their website.  Here is the link  in English http://www.hivandrehab.ca/english/english.html

ou en Français http://www.hivandrehab.ca/french/french.html

By: Sau-Ling Tsui, Registered Physiotherapist, currently working in Toronto, volunteering with EMAS

Yunnan is a province in Southern China that borders Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma and Tibet.  Kunming is the capital city of the Yunnan Province, with a population of 3.5 million and many more people in the surrounding countryside.  Surrounded by mountains on three sides of the city and a large lake on the other, Kunming lies on a high plateau that boasts of temperate weather year round.  It is known as the City of Eternal Spring, with the temperature never wandering far from 18 degrees Celsius.  The city is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. 

Besides the Han majority, there are 24 different minority groups in Yunnan because of its location.  The cultures and religions of each group are very distinct.

Disability and Rehabilitation

While the city has modernized, there are still areas that are lagging behind.  In the latter areas, in hilly regions, it is common to see an entire family living in a one-room house where there is a fire in the middle of the room, used for cooking and for warmth.  Infants and toddlers left unattended are highly susceptible to hazards while adults work outside.  The fact that these burnt victims survive is a miracle in itself. 

Since there is no national health care system, people depend mainly on company benefits.  It is notable that most of the minority groups are farmers and they are self employed.  So initially, the burnt victims are cared for in local hospitals or by use of folk medicine, however, later on in the recovery, due to poverty or unavailability of health care in the villages, many develop severe contractures, disfigurements, resulting in non-functioning hands, arms, legs and feet.  There are children and young adults with birth defects such as cleft lips, cleft palates, moulds, facial and body abnormalities, amongst others.  As a social stigma still remains for the physically handicapped, many victims do not obtain education, and are left with no employment, no hope and no future.

Man before and after surgery