The First World Congress on National and Traditional Medicine, in Bolivia's capital, La Paz, was also held, and included a presentation on chiropractic.
Dr. Firestone is the WFC council representative for the four chiropractors practicing in the Latin American region.
Botswana: Dr. Chris Neethling, WFC council representative for the African region, noted that the first chiropractor has arrived in Botswana. He is Dr. Barry Fraser, a graduate of the Technikon Witwatersrand. The WFC requests welcoming Dr. Fraser to that country via email to
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Canada: Chiropractic faces two controversial issues in Canada. The first: negative publicity surrounding the death of Lana Lewis, a chiropractic patient who died following a stroke after visiting a DC in 1996. Newly elected WFC President Paul Carey,DC, is president of the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association, which retains the lawyers for the chiropractor involved and the profession.
Dr. Carey reports that Scott Haldeman,DC,MD,PhD, a neurologist from Santa Ana, California, with the WFC Research Council, was invited to address the jury for the Lewis case for two days, and performed an outstanding job. Dr. Carey advises those interested in regular reports on this highly controversial matter to go to www.ccachiro.org.
Another issue threatening DCs in Canada are two provinces that have cut back funding for chiropractic services due to the threat of budget deficits. British Columbia has cut services by 80 percent, while Manitoba has decreased funding for adults by 30 percent, to a limit of 12 visits per year. Also in Manitoba, children under 18 are no longer covered by a provincial health plan.
Iran: The Iranian Doctors of Chiropractic and member Dr. Reza Jafari report that under new laws passed last year, DCs have a standard primary contact scope of practice and are authorized to sign disability certificates. They may not operate x-ray or other imaging equipment, but may order imaging studies and are authorized to treat with supplements such as vitamins, and minerals.
Italy: The Associazione Italiana Chiropratici and its president, Dr. Eddy Pellissier, are negotiating for legislative recognition. In May, the country's National Federation for the Orders of Doctors and Dentists formally recognized nine forms of alternative medicine, including chiropractic and osteopathy, provided they "must be considered a medical act in every respect ... thus they must be practised exclusively by (medical doctors)."
Norway: The European Chiropractic Union was hosted by the Kiropraktorforening (Norwegian Chiropractors' Association) May 9-11 in Oslo, welcoming Israel as its 19th member country.
During the past year, a pilot project was begun with a representative sample of Norwegian chiropractors given extended rights, such as disability certification, direct referral to medical specialists and extended reimbursement for patients. Ideally, this may progress to permanent rights for all DCs there. Chiropractors have been included under new multidisciplinary guidelines for the treatment of acute low back pain that are being implemented.
Executive Officers Elected
The following new executive officers were elected for a two-year term during the annual meeting of the WFC Council, June 3-5, 2002 in Toronto, Canada:
President - Paul Carey,DC - North American region (Canada);
First vice president - Anthony Metcalfe,DC - European region (U.K.);
Second vice president - Gerard Clum,DC - North American region (U.S.); and
Secretary-treasurer - Efstathios Papadopoulos, DC - Eastern Mediterranean region (Cyprus).