Parkinson's disease from WHO perspective and a public health point of view

The World Health Organisation (WHO) occupies a unique position in the area of health care and represents a neutral platform that can be used to bring about international collaboration in research. International projects carried out by WHO follow public health principles and are devoted to problems and diseases that are frequent, cause severe disability and represent a significant burden on communities and societies all over the world. One of such projects is the WHO Global Initiative on Neurology and Public Health, which aims to increase public and professional awareness of the prevalence, severity and costs of neurological disorders as well as of the possibilities for their prevention. In the context of this Global Initiative and in order to raise awareness of the public health importance of Parkinson's disease, WHO has established a WHO Working Group on Parkinson's disease. The recommendations produced by this Working Group have guided WHO's work on public health aspects of Parkinson's disease including epidemiology, organisation of services and treatment, education, training and information, and direct and indirect costs of care.