EPDA Life with Parkinson’s campaign launches in ten languages to improve knowledge of Parkinson’s disease across Europe
Survey reveals most Europeans know so little about Parkinson’s they would be unlikely to recognise its early symptoms and see their doctor for prompt diagnosis and treatment
Paris, France, 8th June 2009. The European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA) announces the launch today of multiple language versions of its pan-European awareness campaign, Life with Parkinson’s at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders. The campaign is designed to improve understanding of all aspects of Parkinson’s among a wide range of audiences including people with Parkinson’s, their families and friends, healthcare professionals and policy makers, so that symptoms are recognised and medical advice is sought as early as possible. The information materials are now available in English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Romanian. Spanish, Swedish and Turkish and EPDA hopes to make the information available in further languages in the near future.
A recent survey of over 5,000 members of the general public from across Europe has highlighted why the Life with Parkinson’s campaign is sorely needed. Supported by a Teva Pharmaceuticals Limited and H. Lundbeck A/S, the results of the survey paint a troubling picture of the lack of knowledge and understanding of Parkinson’s. Over half of Europeans did not correctly identify Parkinson’s as a neurological condition that affects movement and 77% did not recognise the inability to move - one of the cardinal symptoms - as being a problem for people with of Parkinson’s.
Comments Susanna Lindvall, vice president of EPDA, “Parkinson’s is a life changing condition with a huge cost burden, so it is important that the general public are aware of Parkinson’s and the symptoms associated with it. A recent clinical trial showed that people who received early treatment with one particular Parkinson’s medicine showed slower progression of their disease. This only emphasises the importance of being able to recognise the symptoms of Parkinson’s at an early stage.
Life with Parkinson’s focuses on the challenges of living with Parkinson’s, illustrating the economic and social burden in the late stages, the impact on people with Parkinson’s, their families, carers and society as a whole. A new section also highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to delay the progression of the disease and to prolong good quality of life.
“Parkinson’s is more than a movement disorder. It affects every aspect of daily living of not only the people with the condition, but also their families and friends. It challenges their mood, their work, their finance and their leisure time, resulting in less participation in social activities that can lead to the threat of isolation” remarked Mary G. Baker, MBE, Patron, European Parkinson’s Disease Association.
However, the survey revealed that 91% of people do not think that they would feel isolated with Parkinson’s, despite the proven physical and psychological effects it has on relationships, independence and quality of life.
Parkinson’s is the second most common degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the patient’s motor skills and speech. In 2007 there were approximately 1.45 million people with Parkinson’s across US, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK and the number of people affected is set to rise as the population ages.
Parkinson’s is both a chronic and progressive illness, which results in a marked decrease in the health-related quality of life of people with Parkinson’s and their carers and places a tremendous economic burden on society.
For more information about this campaign please go to http://www.parkinsonsawareness.eu.com/
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About the survey
Survey carried out by ICM research, April 2009. Commissioned by H. Lundbeck A/S and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited in association with the EPDA.
Development of Life with Parkinson’s has been supported by a number of companies and organisations. The section on ‘Diagnosis and Treatment’ and translation into multiple languages has been supported by an educational grant from H. Lundbeck A/S and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ: TEVA), headquartered in Israel, is among the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world and is the leading generic pharmaceutical company. It develops, manufactures and markets generic and innovative human pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Over 80 percent of Teva’s sales are in North America and Western Europe. Teva’s innovative R&D focuses on developing novel drugs for diseases of the central nervous system.
H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN.CO, LUN DC, HLUKY) is an international pharmaceutical company highly committed to improve the quality of life for people suffering from central nervous system (CNS) disorders. For this purpose Lundbeck is engaged in the research and development, production, marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals across the world, targeted at disorders like depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, insomnia, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Lundbeck was founded in 1915 by Hans Lundbeck in Copenhagen, Denmark, and today employs over 5.500 people worldwide. Lundbeck is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies working with CNS disorders. In 2008, the company’s revenue was DKK 11.3 billion (approximately EUR 1.5 billion or USD 2.2 billion). For more information, please visit www.lundbeck.com.
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