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ISPO has actively sought opportunities to promote policy changes to expand and strengthen the prosthetics and orthotics profession, ensuring sustainable resources for individuals in need of these services. A key focus has been advocating for the re-alignment and reclassification of the profession by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, the P&O profession is classified at the technician level only within the ILO’s International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), equating prosthetists and orthotists with dental prosthetic technicians. The profession lacks recognition at the associate level and is not positioned alongside other allied health professionals such as physiotherapists or occupational therapists, which diminishes its perceived importance and scope and ability to secure needed resources.
During 2023-2025, ISPO prioritized providing ILO with comprehensive evidence to support reclassification. The ultimate goal is to update the 2028 ISCO publication to recognize prosthetists and orthotists at a higher skill level, aligning with their responsibilities and education standards. Evidence gathered included workforce data, education standards, graduation rates, service delivery needs, and terminology alignment. This effort culminated in a 2024 workforce study, building on a 2017 survey, with responses from 82 countries—57% more than in 2017.
Key findings revealed a 58% increase in global P&O professionals, from 47,474 in 2017 to 112,003 in 2024. The growth was particularly notable among in-demand roles: prosthetists and orthotists increased by 32%, while technicians surged by 57% (see table 1).
Based on this evidence, the ILO working group has recommended reclassifying the P&O profession at a higher skill level. This proposal is now subject to a global consultation to determine if the changes will be incorporated into the 2028 ISCO publication. Additionally, ISPO is collaborating with WHO to realign the profession within the WHO National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA). Together, we developed a five-part data collection template to assess the scope of the profession across 20 countries. Similar to the initiative with the ILO, the goal is to achieve proper reclassification of the prosthetics and orthotics profession in the upcoming NHWA publication.
Proper reclassification of the prosthetics and orthotics profession is essential to addressing global health needs. Accurate data and recognition within the ISCO and NHWA frameworks will encourage government agencies to allocate resources, expand services, and enhance access to prosthetic and orthotic care for individuals worldwide.
