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Source: Dutch Parkinson's Association Date: 08-04-99 Translation: HvdG Press release Special action for World Parkinson's Day Archbishop Tutu prays for people with Parkinson's Disease Bunnik; April 7th,1999 Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu from South-Africa will issue a prayer to mark World Parkinson's Day (WPD), Sunday April 11th, especially for all people that worldwide suffer from Parkinson's Disease (PD). All churches and other religious institutions are requested to follow his example. The Archbishop's prayer will be spread around the world by the Parkinson Information Exchange Network, a worldwide internet discussion list, to the members in more than 36 countries. In the Netherlands the prayer will be spread around by the Dutch Parkinson's Association and Nederpark, the discussion list for Dutch people with PD. The religious institutions in the Netherlands are invited to join Tutu in giving support to the worldwide Parkinson's community. The international organisations for people with PD have proclaimed April 11th as World Parkinson's Day. On this day all around the world we ask to pay special attention to the people with PD. This date is choosen because it is the birthday of James Parkinson, de Engelse physician, who in 1817 was the first to describe the symptoms of the disease that later was called PD. On World Parkinson's Day the organisations for people with PD are trying to raise awareness for the problems of people with PD, in the government as well as the general public. More and more the general public is confronted with people that have a tremor or difficulty with walking or speech, judged by their appearence. PD is a chronic, slowly progressive neurological condition that affects a small area of cells in the mid brain. These cells produce the neurotransmitter "dopamine", responsable for the transmission of signals from one braincel to the other. Degeneration of these cells causes a decrease in the production of dopamine, resulting in the symptoms of PD. The most common symptoms are: tremor, stiffness and slowness of movement. PD affects men as well as women, usually when they are about 50 years old. However, about 10% is younger than 40. Estimated is that at this moment in the Netherlands 43.000 people have PD. One in every 350 dutch inhabitants. And their number is increasing.