200 years of Parkinson’s disease: AGE debates role of EU policies

2017 marks the 200-year anniversary of the discovery of Parkinson’s disease by James Parkinson in 1817. On that occasion the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA) hosted on 29 March an interactive policy workshop in collaboration with MEP Marian Harkin (ALDE).

The objective was to discuss the role of the European Union in improving the quality of life and treatment of people with Parkinson’s. AGE Platform Europe was invited to participate as a speaker in a panel defining the public health & social policy responses at the European level.

AS@EUParkinsonWorkshopMar2017 Anne-Sophie Parent, AGE Secretary-General, highlighted the challenges faced by older people living with a chronic and/or mental health disease. In addition to discriminations they experience because of the disease, they face a double penalty due to the lack of accessibility of essential services in relation to health and social care, mobility and other day-to-day activities.

Promoting more inclusive and accessible societies in Europe is precisely the objective of AGE’s campaign to promote age-friendly environments, which also seeks to mobilize stakeholders and share good practices around universal accessibility.

Mrs Parent also introduced the i-PROGNOSIS project in which AGE is a partner. Indeed, the project aims at developing a tool for the early detection of Parkinsons’ Disease as well as enhancing supportive interventions for people with Parkinson’s.

For more information about EPDA’s work on Parkinson’s Disease, please give a look to their Manifesto featuring challenges and room for possible concrete EU action.

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