This prestigious World Congress takes place every two years, and this the 16th ISPO World Congress will for the first time be held on the African continent being hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 08 to 11 May 2017. The congress promotes interdisciplinary discussions between international prosthetists / orthotists, doctors, therapists and engineers, who come together to consider developments and progress in treatments and therapies involving the use of prostheses and orthoses. With its coverage of innovative products and technologies, as well as of scientific investigation and debate, the event has come to occupy a special position in the world of international congresses. In addition, the accompanying trade exhibition offers a promotional platform for industry, service providers and educational institutions.
An 11-year journey comes to fruition during the opening ceremony on 8 May, this journey has taken ISPO South Africa to five different countries beginning in Leipzig in 2006, then on to Vancouver in 2007, Leipzig in 2010, Marseille in 2011 and Hyderabad in 2013 where we were awarded the privilege to host this prestigious congress. In 2015 we went to Lyon to promote our congress and the magnificent city of Cape Town.
Congress Highlights
Scientific Programme
The Scientific Committee, comprised of members from all over the world, has again put together a varied, high-calibre Congress Programme, with a variety of formats including keynote speeches, scientific papers and poster presentations which will appeal to a wide audience. Above all, the more than 600 free paper submissions reveal the huge interest in participating in this event.
WHO GATE
Ninety percent of people worldwide who need assistive technologies to restore or maintain their mobility do not have access to appropriate devices. This year's motto at the Congress, “Assistive technology for all”, once again lays down a marker for ISPO's avowed aim of enabling everyone to have an equal opportunity to participate in society. Together with the World Health Organisation (WHO), ISPO is organising the GATE symposium as part of the World Congress, to highlight global assistive technology issues. High-profile speakers and representatives of governments and leading institutions will be discussing how to improve access to high-quality and, at the same time, affordable mobility and therapeutic aids.
The GATE Symposium on “Assistive Technology for All”. The WHO GATE Initiative - Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology – is aimed at improving access to high-quality, affordable assistive products for persons with disabilities globally.
Brian and Joyce Blatchford Prize
A number of competitive awards are on offer and will be presented at the World Congress. The largest prize monetarily is the Brian and Joyce Blatchford Team Prize for Innovation at €15,000. It is intended to reward teams that achieve practice-changing innovation in prosthetics or orthotics. Full details of the Blatchford Prize and all other awards are available HERE!
Collaborations
The ISPO Congress is being organised in collaboration with the Society's South African national member society, ISPO South Africa. The accompanying trade exhibition will again be organised by Leipziger Messe GmbH, following the successful collaboration over the previous three trade events. The event is also being supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Fedération Africaine des Techniciens Orthoprothésistes (FATO) and the South African Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (SAOPA). Major sponsors of the event are Otto Bock and Össur, who also remain major, loyal supporters of ISPO.
About the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics
ISPO is a global multidisciplinary organization aiming to improve the quality of life for persons who may benefit from prosthetic, orthotic, mobility and assistive devices by:
• Ensuring quality care and education of professionals for the benefit of patients around the world;
• Promoting research and evidence-based practice;
• Facilitating innovative and appropriate technology development;
• Promoting international collaboration and consensus building;
• Fostering exchange, high-quality knowledge and networking.
ISPO gathers representatives of a variety of medical and allied health professions related to prosthetics and orthotics i.e. prosthetists and orthotists but also prosthetic and orthotic (P&O) technicians, orthopaedic surgeons, rehabilitation doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthopaedic shoemakers, nurses and biomechanical/rehabilitation engineers. ISPO currently represents over 50 Member Societies (MS) and counting 3,500 individual members in over 100 countries around the world. Please see www.ispoint.org or email info@ispoint.org for more information.