Dr. Tecla Mlambo, a senior lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, was introduced as the incoming President of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) during the Congress 2026 closing ceremony. She is the first occupational therapist from the African region to assume this role. Tecla had been WFOT Programme coordinator for Education from May 2018 to June 2024 and lead the approval of several new education programmes across the globe. In 2006, she became the Zimbabwean delegate to the WFOT and has been active in Occupational Therapy Africa Regional Group (OTARG) where she organised and chaired the 8th OTARG Congress Scientific committee in 2013. Tecla was humbled by the opportunity to assume the Presidency and pledged her commitment to leading with integrity, transparency and collaboration to advance the work of WFOT. She encouraged occupational therapists to work together, as together more can be achieved to strengthen our professional voice and advocate for occupational therapy to be accessible to all.
Tecla Mlambo is the Chairperson in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences which educates Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, and Audiologists. She has been heavily involved in the University’s mentorship of the Occupational Therapy programme in Cameroon.
As the Zimbabwean delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Tecla has facilitated Zimbabwean occupational therapists’ participation in WFOT and WHO projects. She was part of the expert team supporting WHO Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) to develop Assistive Product Specifications (APS) for the following products: chairs for shower and toilet (static and mobile), and grab rail/bars. Tecla was a Ministerial Appointee on the Medical Rehabilitation Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe Board from 2020 to 2024, and chaired the Education and Liaison Committee. She is also an Editorial Board Member of the South African Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Tecla envisions growth of the Rehabilitation field in general, and occupational therapy in particular, across the globe. She holds a BSc Hons OT, MSc OT, MSc Clinical Epidemiology and a Doctor of Philosophy.