Globally, the prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) has doubled in the past 25 years with global estimates in 2019 showing over 8.5 million individuals living with PD.

Despite the significant impact of PD, there is inequality in the availability of resources and services to provide treatment and care especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The World Health Organisation (WHO) Neurology Atlas (2017) provides estimates of 0.03 neurologists per 100 000 population in low-income countries and 4.75 per 100 000 population in high-income countries.

In line with the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders, a technical brief entitled “Parkinson disease: a public health approach” has been published.

The technical brief outlines the global burden, treatment gaps, crucial areas for intervention in PD and several areas for action, including:

• global health policies to implement strategies focused on PD;

• prevention and reduction of risks for PD including education and awareness;

• assured access to treatment and care, including access to, and education of, an interdisciplinary workforce trained in neurological disorders; and

• delivery of services and the management of PD at various levels of health systems.