Luxembourg

It was a double celebration for the Parkinson Luxembourg Association this year, not only did they celebrate World PD Day on 20 April but also their 15th anniversary.

A conference, held in both German and French, celebrated both these important events and focused on the needs of the carer, a special request by the membership.

Guest speaker, Dr. Tove Henriksen from Denmark spoke about the "The care giver burden". Sylvie Mersch; one of the Association's committee members was diagnosed with Parkinson's at an early age and she described a survey involving interviews with 50 people with Parkinson's to determine their personal experiences of living with Parkinson's.

The Association also paid tribute to Jean Junker, Honorary President and Founder of the Association who sadly died early this year.

150 balloons were launched under the mesmerized eyes of the many people who came together to celebrate WPDD. People with PD say very often that they feel as if “they are in a prison; that they have so much inner life and energy but they cannot set it free”.  Each balloon represents the ‘Hidden Face of Parkinson’s’ for the Luxembourg PDS members.

New Zealand

Parkinson's New Zealand, to celebrate World PD Day, are embarking on a RAISING AWARENESS campaign by encouraging all readers of their quarterly magazine 'The Parkinsonian' to bring one new supporter to join their local society. Being a supporter member does not mean attending meetings or devoting a lot of time to activities unless time or wishes permit. The level of activity can be large or small, demonstrating support for people with Parkinson's, their families and the national society.

Poland

A conference, dedicated to James Parkinson, is being organized by The Krakow Parkinson's Disease Association and will take place on 11 April. It is anticipated that this event will receive wide coverage by the local media and will include the participation of Dr. Anna Krygowska-Wajs talking about new approaches to Parkinson's therapy. There will also be an open forum involving people with Parkinson's, their carers and invited representatives from television, radio and the press.

Andrzej Białko,TV producer and film maker attended the EFNA Stem Cell Conference in December 2005 where he videoed parts of the conference and interviews resulting in a shortened version being presented at meetings with people with Parkinson's in the Polish towns of Krakow, Katowice and Warszawa. Andrzej, himself a carer (his mother has Parkinson's) is President of the Polish-German Association for Cultural Initiatives (GACI) specializing in media and documentary TV production. A documentary including interviews with people with Parkinson's in Poland, Austria and Germany is being planned.

During the last 10 years, the GACI has participated in several EU projects, producing television debates and documentary films for Polish, Austrian and German Television with some of their films being entered in international film festivals.

Portugal

Associação Portuguesa de Doentes de Parkinson, the national Parkinson’s organisation in Portugal, are this year working with each of their fifteen Branches to support World PD Day. Each branch, with the support of their local members, will be holding various events to raise awareness and enhance the profile of Parkinson’s in their local area throughout the month of April to spread the word far and wide.

Romania

In Romania, World Parkinson's Disease Day was celebrated in the Victoria Plaza, Deva on the 13 April. The celebrations were reported widely via the media, television Antena 1, TV Deva and newspapers from Hunedoreanul, Free word, Servus.

Singapore

PDS Singapore celebrates World PD Day on their annual Farm Tour

Report by Ms Lau Puay Ngoh, Nurse Clinician, National Neuroscience Institute, Committee member, PDSS

Since 2005, the PDSS World PD Tour for people living with Parkinson’s has been an annual event, organized in conjunction with World PD Awareness Week from11 to 17April, and celebrated worldwide. This year on 14 April, our members had the opportunity to visit the frog farm, go on a shopping spree and enjoy a buffet lunch at a local restaurant.

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70 adults including 2 toddlers had a very enriching experience at the frog farm, learning about the life cycle of a frog, how frogs are fed, the factors involved in constructing a frog’s man-made habitat and the operations of the farm. Most of us were surprised to learn that frogs also need privacy and quietness to mate and learned how to differentiate a male from a female frog. Some bought “frog” products from the farm while others brought home tadpoles in the hope that in 12 to 16 weeks’ time, these tadpoles would turn into frogs. Next, we went for a shopping spree at the nearby mart, similar to a bazaar, where costume jewellery, clothes, dry goods to market produce could be bought.

A tour is not complete without a lunch and everyone was treated to a 10-course buffet lunch followed by an educational talk on Parkinson’s by Dr. Louis Tan, a senior consultant neurologist from National Neuroscience Institute at Tan Tock Seng Hospital campus who spoke about “Symptoms and complications of Parkinson’s disease”, with a carer also sharing her experiences in looking after her husband who has had Parkinson’s for more than 20 years.

Many went home not only with “frog” knowledge but also with increased knowledge on Parkinson’s and coping skills for carers. It was a really enjoyable day and many are looking forward to the next outing. Grateful thanks to all the volunteers who came and lent a helping hand to everyone, especially those in wheelchairs.

Slovenia

Društvo TREPETLIKA, the Parkinson's Disease Society of Slovenia celebrated World Parkinson's Disease Day on 11 April by commemorating the trembling tree planted outside the Klinicni Center, the Ljubljana-based university hospital in 1997 on the first World PD Day.

A bench seat and plaque with the TREPETLIKA logo was placed under the tree, surrounded by James Parkinson's tulips. This seat will be a place for people with PD to sit and rest when visiting the hospital.

Sweden

Research in focus on World PD Day in Stockholm

The Swedish Parkinson's Disease Association (SPA) in partnership with the Swedish Parkinson Foundation, Stockholm, will celebrate World PD Day, 11 April by holding a scientific conference.

Her Majesty Queen Silvia, patron of the Swedish Parkinson Foundation, will officially open the conference being held in celebration of World PD Day and the 20th anniversary of the Foundation.

Presentations include:

• Professors Thomas Perlmann, (Karolinska), Per Odin, (Bremerhaven), Ann-Kathrine Granérus, (Linköping) and Dr. Sven Pålhagen, (Karolinska), will talk about different aspects of Parkinson’s treatment and research
• Prof. Karl Obrant, (Lund), will present a new project: The Swedish Parkinson Academy in Lund that was initiated by The Parkinson Foundation

The aim is to create a unique interaction between basic and clinical research at the University of Lund bringing together promising young clinical researchers to provide them with an advanced research program within both basic and translational research. They will be offered career development resulting in the future to leading PD clinical research at different centres throughout the whole of Sweden.

Docent Berit Scott, Psychologist from Uppsala University, who has PD, will speak about the importance of exercise and mental training.

The conference Chairman is Magnus Briggert, a well known former business journalist from Swedish Television who has PD and the fantastic Uppsala University Jazz Orchestra will bring the day to a close.

Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis Neuroscience, Orion Pharma and Solvay Pharma have kindly supported the conference that will be broadcast by Swedish Television and will be web cast on the Internet.

Switzerland

Music opens hearts

Parkinson Switzerland is celebrating World Parkinson's Disease Day 2007 with music. La Compagnia Rossini, an ensemble of soloists and well known choir, will be 'opening people's hearts and minds' in a Zurich church by performing Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini and Verdi, as well as 'canzoni' by some of the great Italian maestros.

Thanks to Lundbeck (Switzerland), Parkinson's Switzerland is able to organise this high profile event. Lundbeck is funding and promoting the concert, the proceeds being donated to the Association. "We want to raise the public's awareness of the challenge of Parkinson's and the support people need that face its challenges on a daily basis" said a spokesman.

Realizing how difficult it can be to enhance awareness and understanding, Parkinson's Switzerland are using music to express emotions and open peoples hearts; believing that 'open hearts' are better able to communicate, understand and care.

United Kingdom

Raising awareness every April is one of the main activities of the Parkinson 's Disease Society (PDS) of the UK and has been one of their major priorities for many, many years. This year is no exception and from 16 - 22 April they will be enhancing awareness in the UK by:

• launching a new DVD for newly diagnosed people called 'Being There'
• their new Website www.parkinsons.org.uk that will include a discussion forum for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's
• Posters highlighting some of the questions people ask and directing them to the PDS' free Helpline and website.

On the 17 April, the PDS will be holding a reception at the House of Commons, hosted by Madeleine Moon MP highlighting problems surrounding delays to diagnosis, lack of compliance with the NICE Guideline for Parkinson's disease (misdiagnosis by GPs, shortages of specialists) and the impact this has on clinical outcomes for people with Parkinson's and their quality of life.

 

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On the occasion of World Parkinson's Day on 11 April, the European Parkinson's Disease Association, the Association of Physiotherapists in Parkinson's Disease Europe and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) have published a joint advert in the European Voice issue of 5 April 2007. The purpose is to raise awareness on Parkinson's disease, describe medical progress and highlight the need for a partnership approach for better health.

The costs of the advert have been paid by EFPIA.