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Working towards a cure for Parkinson’s
The Government is making a major investment to improve quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease – and ultimately find a cure.
Parkinson’s disease is believed to affect upwards of 80,000 Australians, with 37 new cases diagnosed every day.
Tremors, slow movement, rigid muscles, sensory dysfunction, mood disorders, fatigue; Parkinson’s disease can manifest in a huge number of ways.
A disorder of the central nervous system, there is currently no known cause or understanding of why people develop Parkinson’s disease.
It is believed to affect upwards of 80,000 Australians, with 37 new cases diagnosed every day.
In an effort to improve the quality of life for people living with the disease and work towards finding a cure, the Federal Government has committed $36.8 million for Parkinson’s nurses and medical research through the Garvin’s Institute’s Australian Parkinson Mission.
‘Up to 1000 Australians from Victoria, [New South Wales] and Queensland living with Parkinson’s will test the effectiveness of four repurposed drugs, revolutionising our understanding of Parkinson’s, identifying new treatment targets and discovering new drugs,’ Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
‘A further $6.8 million over four years will be provided to Primary Health Networks to improve access to specialised nursing care in the community for people living with movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease.’
Parkinson’s can affect people of any age or gender, though it is most common among people aged over 65.
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