April 11th is World Parkinson’s Day

World Parkinson's Day is supported by the European Parkinson's Disease Association. The aim of Parkinson's Awareness Day is to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease, promoting a greater understanding of this condition and how it can affect a person.

U.S. Senate and Local Governments Recognize April as Parkinson's Awareness Month. On Tuesday April 25, the United States Senate formally declared April 2017 Parkinson's Awareness Month, bringing attention to the disease and the needs of patients.

The triennial World Parkinson Congresses invites members of the Parkinson community to come together to learn, present, share, collaborate and be inspired. Launched first in 2006, the next, or 6th World Parkinson Congress will be held in Barcelona, Spain from June 7-10, 2022. 

Each WPC program offers a dynamic and robust learning opportunity and attracts participants who identify as scientists, clinical researchers, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, Parkinson advocates and more. (See past Congress programs.) Congresses are supported and endorsed by a wide range of Organizational Partners that serve and represent the global PD community.

The networking opportunities at the WPC are extensive, including through the WPC Buddies Program where delegates are matched with buddies, many of whom are attending a WPC for the first time. Isolation is something many people with Parkinson’s experience due to the symptoms of the disease, and evidence shows that social connectedness is crucial to one’s well-being. The WPC supports that connectedness through the Buddies program and other networking opportunities.