The NPAP represents years of advocacy and collaboration across the Parkinson’s community and sector, led by the National Parkinson’s Alliance (NPA) of which Fight Parkinson’s is a founding member.
Most importantly, it reflects the voices and experiences of more than 200,000 people living with Parkinson’s, their families, and carers.
Joining us at the launch in Canberra were Sheenagh Bottrell and Pam West, two very well-known and respected leaders within the Fight Parkinson’s community—Sheenagh as a peer leader through Young@Park and Pam as a leader of ParKanDo.
Both Sheenagh and Pam have played an important role in advocating for increased awareness, better care and support, and stronger research for Parkinson’s (including Young-Onset) and Atypical Parkinson’s (including PSP, MSA, and CBS).
They have played a key role in supporting the NPAP through:
- Government advocacy to secure funding for the plan in 2024
- Participation in community media campaigns and events to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and the need for a coordinated, strategic national approach
- Contributions to community consultation workshops and survey promotion between June and August 2025
- Ongoing support, including joining us for the launch of the NPAP today
We extend our sincere thanks to all members of the community who contributed to this foundational work.
The NPAP provides actions to improve awareness, care, support, and research for people affected by Parkinson’s across Australia.
The community and cross-sector collaboration underpinning the plan has been significant. A comprehensive literature review of national and global peer-reviewed research informed an extensive consultation process, supported through a national survey and face-to-face workshops.
In Victoria, 1,354 community members contributed to the survey, with seven face-to-face workshops and two online sessions delivered, ensuring participation from both metropolitan and regional communities, including dedicated engagement with people living with PSP, MSA, or CBS.
The consultation between June and August 2025 was followed by in-depth interviews with people living with Parkinson’s and caregivers, as well as extensive sector engagement through workshops with researchers, clinicians, and state and federal government policy-makers.
The NPAP reflects this consultation, bringing together peer-reviewed evidence coupled with real world experience of the community and sector to identify areas and actions required to facilitate meaningful change for the Parkinson’s community in Australia.
