The Federal Government has announced $800,000 in funding over two years to develop and implement Australia’s first National Parkinson’s Action Plan.

The funding will be used by the National Parkinson’s Alliance to develop and implement the Plan.

The Alliance is an Australian collaboration of key stakeholders and leaders in the Parkinson’s community who have come together to inform and shape policies, strategies, and initiatives that will enhance the lives of individuals affected by Parkinson’s across the country.

The purpose of this National Parkinson’s Action Plan is to call for improvement in key areas including:

• Reducing stigma for people living with Parkinson’s
• Improving the education and capability of the health, disability and aged care workforce
• Earlier detection and diagnosis of Parkinson’s – including more empathetic delivery of diagnosis and referral and access of a multi-disciplinary team
• Better access to – and coordination of – evidence-based healthcare, resources, supports and treatments
• Improved prevention of Parkinson’s
• Better data on Parkinson’s prevalence and monitoring of practice gaps
• New and improved treatments and therapies, with greater access to clinical trials
• Greater funding for research – including translation of current research into practice

The National Parkinson’s Alliance will oversee the development, implementation, and assessment of the National Parkinson’s Action Plan working with the Department of Health and Aged Care to ensure appropriate delivery of outcomes in line with the National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions.

As the world’s fastest growing neurological disease, a coordinated approach to ending Parkinson’s is rapidly becoming a priority across the globe. In late May 2024, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act – the first-ever federal legislation dedicated to ending Parkinson’s disease.