Australian Prime Minister backs #UniteForParkinsons as campaign goes viral

Global update

Author: Joe McAweaneyPublished: 26 April 2017

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The #UniteForParkinsons campaign received widespread support and engaged organisations and campaigners across the international community – including the Australian Prime Minister and other influential policymakers in Europe and beyond

On World Parkinson’s Day the world came together with one voice to #UniteForParkinsons, raising an unprecedented amount of awareness of Parkinson’s disease on social media.

Launched by leading charities Parkinson’s Europe and Parkinson’s UK, the international campaign engaged the likes of Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, Carlos Moedas, the European Commissioner for Research, and Vytenis Andriukaitis, Lithuania’s European Commissioner.

PA and Parkinson’s reps with the PM for the world-wide #UniteForParkinsons campaign @TurnbullMalcolm @AusLiberalParty pic.twitter.com/fQTSwKg3uR

— Parkinson's Aust (@ParkinsonsAus) April 11, 2017

World Parkinson’s Day 2017 has special significance, as it marks 200 years since Dr James Parkinson first identified Parkinson’s as a medical condition.

To get involved, campaigners used the hashtag #UniteForParkinsons on their social media accounts. The campaign resulted in 5815 tweets from Twitter users in 76 countries. People affected by the disease shared personal stories, pieces of art, blog posts, poems and inspirational videos.

It is hoped the campaign will help drive Parkinson’s up the priority list on political agendas around the world.

Today it's #worldParkinsonday.
United to fight the disease #UniteforParkinsons @WorldParkinsons @V_Andriukaitis https://t.co/Ys79XVVQdu

— Carlos Moedas (@Moedas) April 11, 2017

The Michael J Fox foundation also got behind the campaign.

This #WorldParkinsonsDay, join the global community in sharing your stories to tell us why you #UniteForParkinsons

— michaeljfox.org (@MichaelJFoxOrg) April 12, 2017

MEP Heinz Becker realised a video discussing the importance of early diagnosis and training of health care professionals.

MEP Heinz Becker: #UniteForParkinsons for early diagnosis, training of HCPs and multidisciplinary #Parkinsons carehttps://t.co/defNIK9TEd

— Parkinson’s Europe (@euparkinsons) April 11, 2017

Designer Mike Bell released a special World Parkinson’s Day poem in aid of the campaign.

#UniteForParkinsons poem: “Parkinson’s can be a state of mind, rather than an illness” @MikeBellWrites https://t.co/KjsfHPIMa2

— Parkinson's Life (@parkinsons_life) April 11, 2017

Founder of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust Tom Isaacs released a video wishing Dr James Parkinson a happy birthday and explaining how important it is to Unite For Parkinson’s.

https://twitter.com/PDDBSWife/status/851726879098900480

To learn more about the support the campaign received, click here.

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Australian Prime Minister backs #UniteForParkinsons as campaign goes viral

Global update

Author: Joe McAweaneyPublished: 26 April 2017

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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Australian Prime Minister backs #UniteForParkinsons as campaign goes viral

Global update

Author: Joe McAweaneyPublished: 26 April 2017

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Perspectives

Tonya’s trends: fashioning Parkinson’s fundraisers out of designer clothes

Episodes

Podcast: Parkinson’s and loneliness

sponsored article

PD in Practice

Could your subconscious mind affect your Parkinson’s treatment outcomes?

Parkinson’s Europe co-founder Lizzie Graham wins World Parkinson Coalition award

Study explores predictors of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease

Could frailty be a potential risk factor for Parkinson’s disease?

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