July 2009

WCA names new UN/NGO liaison

Ken Vinton, DC, has been picked as the World Chiropractic Alliance's new liaison to the United Nations and the UN's NGO Health Committee.

The WCA was first granted status as an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) with the Department of Public Information (DPI) in December 1998, partly because of its strong public information outreach. In coming to its decision, the Department reviewed many of the publications produced by the WCA, including The Chiropractic Journal, the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research and other communication resources.

Dr. Vinton, a 1989 graduate of Palmer College, is a well-known expert in the field of chiropractic neurology and a pioneer in the use of cutting-edge technology to provide demonstrable proof of neurologic dysregulation.

"I am eager to maintain the WCA's ties with important international health groups within the United Nations, including the NGO Health Committee and the World Health Organization," Vinton said after his first trip to the UN in March. "Chiropractic can play such an important part in worldwide wellness but we need to be an active participant in the process and not permit the drug industry to dictate health policy."

Vinton was particularly interested in a workshop on "Brain Education for Human Development" given at the UN to celebrate the launching of Brain World  magazine during Brain Awareness Week in March. The focus of the workshop was on how to use the brain better for physical and mental well-being, greater productivity and creativity.

"The new emphasis on the role of brain activity to influence all aspects of health ties in directly with our profession's trend toward neurologically based chiropractic," he explained. "Our ability to use sophisticated equipment to accurately and easily measure the effect of chiropractic adjustments on the patient's nervous system puts us in the forefront of this new type of healing."

As UN liaison, Vinton will monitor global health efforts and work to identify areas that the WCA and chiropractic can have input into health care policy and make contributions to the world health and wellness community.