The Global Declaration states:

We, the Working Group on Parkinson's disease, formed by the World Health Organisation in Geneva, 27 & 28 May 1997, call on world governments and all healthcare providers to join us in taking strong and decisive action to meet the objectives and recommendations on the educational management and Public Health implications of Parkinson's disease as agreed at that meeting.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which is globally distributed, affecting all cultures and races.

• The overall prevalence in the world is estimated to be 6.3 million.
• More than 1:10 people with Parkinson's are diagnosed before the age of 50 years.

Although Parkinson's disease is a complex disorder of unknown cause, for more than 40 years it has been recognised that loss of dopamine cells in the brain is responsible for the commonly observed disorders of movement. As yet the cure remains elusive. Parkinson's disease affects every aspect of daily living. In the modern era a range of treatments have been available to control symptoms and extend life span. These include medication, surgery, and physical therapies.

Effective and appropriate management of strategies could improve the quality of life of those with Parkinson's and reduce cost and impact on the global community.

Specifically, we urge every government to:

• Support the World Charter for people with Parkinson's disease, launched 11 April 1997, which states that:
  People with Parkinson's have the right to:
  • Be referred to a doctor with a special interest in Parkinson's disease
  • Receive an accurate diagnosis
  • Have access to support services
  • Receive continuous care; and
  • Take part in managing the illness
• Increase public awareness of Parkinson's disease as a priority health challenge thereby reducing its stigma and remove discrimination against people with Parkinson's disease in the workplace.
• Improve the lives of people impacted by Parkinson's disease by ensuring that they receive appropriate treatment and reform medical education in support of the WHO 'Health for All' Initiative.
• Encourage all health authorities world-wide to support the WHO 'Health for All' concept, and implement a Parkinson's disease programme consistent with resources available at each stage of industrial development to achieve co-ordination of effort by health workers within the three -tier model of service delivery.
• Arrange care across the full spectrum of the illness, structured in accordance with the results of cost effectiveness studies.
• Encourage partnership between neuroscientists and health workers to devise ways to improve access to needed care and treatment for all people with Parkinson's disease and foster practice guidelines to assist health care workers in the management of medication side-effects, especially among the elderly.
• Support a partnership between doctors and other health care workers with voluntary (non- governmental) organisations representing patient interests to promote better understanding of Parkinson's disease.
• Reach out to all ethnic and cultural groups of patients, and to overcome negative attitudes in society towards chronic neurological and psychiatric illness and provide practical assistance for countries with underdeveloped Parkinson's services.
• Encourage research into Parkinson's disease and the development of multidisciplinary teams to improve its management.