The World Physiotherapy Africa Regional Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, provided an excellent opportunity to engage with physiotherapists, researchers, educators and professional leaders from across the continent. I was invited to deliver a presentation on how PEDro and DiTA can help make evidence-based practice easier for clinicians, researchers and students.

A substantial timeslot was provided for the presentation, which was therefore able to go far beyond practical strategies for finding and using research evidence in day-to-day clinical practice. We explored the World-Wide Journal Club, the PEDro YouTube channel, Evidence in your inbox, tutorials and many other resources and features of PEDro and DiTA.

A particular highlight was the attendance of PEDro Representative, Taofik Afolabi from Nigeria. Taofik was able to provide attendees with first-hand insights into the role of PEDro Representatives and the important contribution they make to promoting evidence-based physiotherapy within their countries and regions. His perspective helped demonstrate how PEDro is supported by a global network of volunteers committed to improving access to research evidence.

The congress also provided an opportunity to celebrate African physiotherapy research. As a judge for the PEDro Prize, I was delighted to see the award presented to Félix Nindorera and colleagues for their study, Short-term functional and preventive effects of mixed, group-based exercise in chronic stroke: A randomized cross-over trial in a low-income setting.

The study demonstrated that a community-based exercise program combining walking, balance, cycling and strength training produced substantial improvements in activity, mobility and cardiometabolic health among people living with chronic stroke. Importantly, the research was conducted in a low-income setting and addressed challenges that are highly relevant across many African countries. The findings highlight how innovative, low-cost rehabilitation approaches can improve outcomes and contribute to secondary stroke prevention.

The strong interest in the PEDro and DiTA session, together with the quality of research presented throughout the congress, reinforced the growing commitment to evidence-based physiotherapy across Africa. It was encouraging to see clinicians and researchers discussing not only how to find evidence, but also how to generate locally relevant evidence that can improve patient outcomes.

PEDro remains committed to supporting physiotherapists worldwide by providing free access to high-quality evidence. The enthusiasm and engagement shown by delegates in Kigali suggest a bright future for evidence-based physiotherapy across the African region.

Mark Elkins