Sick of being locked inside with nothing to do? Well, this is just your luck! On July 22, you can celebrate the 6th annual World Brain Day from the comfort of your own home. Founded by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), this educational event promotes awareness and patient advocacy for a new condition each year. In the past, topics included migraines and epilepsy. This year, World Brain Day will raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease.
World Brain Day
According to the WFN:
The main objective of this day of the brain is to increase public awareness and promote advocacy related to brain health. The theme for this year’s campaign is “our brain, our future”.
For World Brain Day 2020, the WFN and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) combined forces to discuss a variety of Parkinson’s-related issues. Over 7 million people across the globe have Parkinson’s disease! Thus, better understanding everything from disease progression to neurological treatments can assist this patient population.
Some details that will be discussed include:
- Care guidelines for patients with Parkinson’s disease during COVID-19
- New and upcoming research
- Patient advocacy, care, and education –> spearheaded by 122 global organizations
You can also register for a free webinar at 12:30pm GMT (approx. 8:30am EST). Alongside leading neurologists and medical experts, patients (and you) will discuss Parkinson’s research, diagnosis, treatment options, and patient outcomes.
Additional Resources
If you want to learn more about Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, take a look at the following resources:
- MDS: MDS offers a variety of resources to build your knowledge of Parkinson’s disease and similar conditions. On their website, the organization offers patient handouts, an e-learning series on evaluating and managing movement disorders, and registration for their 2020 Virtual Congress.
- WFN: In addition to a toolkit created in partnership with the MDS, the WFN plans for heavy public engagement throughout World Brain Day. First, the WFN will participate in social media chats to discuss Parkinson’s disease, symptoms, social issues, and patient outcomes. Next, the organization encourages members to get involved through advocacy and other virtual programs.
Social Media
Beyond joining the webinar, or reading through some of the many informative resources, how can you promote patient advocacy?
First, you can post educational resources about World Brain Day on social media using #WBD2020 or #WorldBrainDay.
You can also share your story. Do you or a loved one have Parkinson’s disease or another brain-related condition? Consider speaking with organizations like WFN (or PatientWorthy!) to help spread awareness.
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