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IntroductionDespite the profound burden of disease, a strategic global response to optimise musculoskeletal (MSK) health and guide national-level health systems strengthening priorities remains absent. Auspiced by the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health (G-MUSC), we aimed to empirically derive requisite priorities and components of a strategic response to guide global and national-level action on MSK health.MethodsDesign: mixed-methods, three-phase design.Phase 1: qualitative study with international key informants (KIs), including patient representatives and people with lived experience. KIs characterised the contemporary landscape for MSK health and priorities for a global strategic response.Phase 2: scoping review of national health policies to identify contemporary MSK policy trends and foci.Phase 3: informed by phases 1–2, was a global eDelphi where multisectoral panellists rated and iterated a framework of priorities and detailed components/actions.ResultsPhase 1: 31 KIs representing 25 organisations were sampled from 20 countries (40% low and middle income (LMIC)). Inductively derived themes were used to construct a logic model to underpin latter phases, consisting of five guiding principles, eight strategic priority areas and seven accelerators for action.Phase 2: of the 165 documents identified, 41 (24.8%) from 22 countries (88% high-income countries) and 2 regions met the inclusion criteria. Eight overarching policy themes, supported by 47 subthemes, were derived, aligning closely with the logic model.Phase 3: 674 panellists from 72 countries (46% LMICs) participated in round 1 and 439 (65%) in round 2 of the eDelphi. Fifty-nine components were retained with 10 (17%) identified as essential for health systems. 97.6% and 94.8% agreed or strongly agreed the framework was valuable and credible, respectively, for health systems strengthening.ConclusionAn empirically derived framework, co-designed and strongly supported by multisectoral stakeholders, can now be used as a blueprint for global and country-level responses to improve MSK health and prioritise system strengthening initiatives.

The history of our profession is well documented and sometimes differs depending on the perspectives you read. However, the intrinsic relationship between occupation, health and well-being is unive...

Background World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) member organisations comprise 77 national occupational therapy organisations across the world. Each national organisation interacts with its members and the public using diverse methods. Increasingly, national organisations are broadening their communication methods. Objective The objective of this study was to examine if and how occupational therapy organisations are using social media for communication, and if so, the types of concerns or barriers they experience and what role they anticipate social media might play in the near future. Methods An online survey was developed; 57 of 77 WFOT member organisations responded. Findings This study identified that WFOT national organisations are using social media, to varying degrees, with or without an individual formally assigned to manage social media. Respondents reported that they used social media to: communicate with members, promote the organisation and promote the profession. Commonly expressed needs included assistance with guidelines for ethical social media use, developing technical expertise, and recognition of limits of time and competing priorities. Recommendations arising from this research are at the global, national, local and individual levels and incorporate active dissemination and pure diffusion approaches. Taking steps to increase the use of social media could indirectly impact occupational therapy practice through enhancing organisations’ abilities to support practitioners to enhance their practice. Limitations and recommendations for further research Although 57% of WFOT member organisations returned usable responses, there may be some additional perspectives that were not captured. It would be helpful to contact non-responding organisations to explore their social media use and plans. Further research could examine how future initiatives put in place by WFOT impact social media use by member organisations.

The WFOT comprises of 52 member countries each of whom are represented on Council by an elected delegate. There is also an elected Executive Management Team comprising of President, Vice President, Executive Director, Vice President Finance and four Programme Coordinators (PCo’s). In addition there are delegates from a number of non-voting Contributing and Associate Member countries. Full Council Meetings take place every two years and the Executive Team meets every year.

WFOT responded immediately and proactively to the major disaster that occurred in the Indian Ocean region on December 26, 2004. This report notes the actions that WFOT have taken already and recommendations for future actions for occupational therapists locally and internationally for improved preparedness for emergency response. As noted in the Report of the WFOT Response to the Tsunami (www.wfot.org/document_centre/), for the future, priority occupational therapy emergency response needs are for orientation, preparation and understanding of coordination requirements and skills in post traumatic stress management and in particular through meaningful and productive occupation and sustainable livelihood

The theme of this Bulletin issue is on Human Rights and I commend the authors of the articles in this edition. WFOT has a strong commitment to Human Rights evidenced through the establishment of an International Advisory Group (IAG): Human Rights, the development of a Position Paper on Human Rights1 and WFOT’s commitment to embed the principles of Human Rights and Social Justice into the fabric of its documents and publications. In June 2011, WHO released the World Health Report2 which for the first time examined the inequities around disability. The WFOT Position Statement on Human Rights demonstrates the WFOT position in relation to human occupation and participation. WFOT believes that occupational therapists have the knowledge and skills to support persons who experience limitations or barriers to participation in occupation. Occupational therapists also have a role and responsibility to develop and synthesize knowledge to support participation; to identify and raise issues of occupational barriers and injustices; and to work with groups, communities and societies to enhance participation in occupation for all persons. Achieving this is to achieve an occupationally just society. One of the main outcomes from the United Nations Conference Rio+20 (2012)3 was the agreement by member States to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and converge with the post-2015 development agenda.