2025 PROCLAMATION
Parkinson’s Awareness Month
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive, neurological disease and is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the United States.
Parkinson’s disease is estimated to affect approximately one million people in the United States, including more than 100,000 people in California, and the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease will rise to 1.2 million by 2030. Each year, 90,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this disease.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease vary from person to person and can include tremors; slowness of movement and rigidity; difficulty with balance, swallowing, chewing, and speaking; cognitive impairment and dementia; mood disorders; and a variety of other non-motor symptoms.
The economic burden of Parkinson’s disease is estimated to be at least $52 billion annually, which includes direct and indirect costs such as treatment, social security payments, and lost income to patients and family members.
Research suggests that Parkinson’s disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, but the exact cause and progression of the disease is still unknown. There is still no objective test or biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, and no cure or drug to slow or halt the progression of the disease. For this reason, caring community support, including volunteers, caregivers, researchers, and medical professionals working to find more effective treatments and access to quality care is essential to persons living with Parkinson’s disease and their families.
Now, therefore, I, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Mayor of the City of Alameda, hereby proclaim April 2025 as
Parkinson’s Awareness Month
in the City of Alameda and encourage residents to support people impacted by Parkinson’s Disease and organizations actively fighting the progression of Parkinson’s Disease, protecting the health of people with Parkinson’s Disease, and supporting their families. These organizations include PD Active, Stanford Health, UCSF, and local chapters of nationwide groups that provide support groups, and medical and other care that fosters independent and dignified living for those living with Parkinson’s Disease.
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft
Mayor