PRESS RELEASE: embargoed until Tuesday 1 March 2016
Launching Together Under The Umbrella –
1 in 3 people in Europe live with brain disorder
Together Under the Umbrella will launch at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday 15 March
2016. Organised by the European Federation of Neurological Associations the Together Under the
Umbrella campaign will provide the platform for people with neurological disorders to share their
experiences and stories and thereby build a greater understanding of these conditions among the wider
public.
The campaign asks the public to post a picture of themselves under an umbrella to social media using the
hashtag #UnderTheUmbrella and link to the campaign’s online hub where key messages, interesting facts
and campaign details will be displayed – alongside a list of supporting neurology patient organisations and
further information on the disease areas they represent.
Neurological disorders are conditions arising from illness or injury to the brain, spinal cord or nerves.
Some, like cerebral palsy, are present from birth, while others such as Alzheimer’s diseases affect older
people. Some disorders, like migraine, typically give intermittent symptoms, while others such as
Parkinson’s disease involve a progressive deterioration and loss of independence. Chronic pain – defined
as moderate or severe pain lasting more than six months – is often associated with neurological disorders.
It can arise from damage to the nervous system, as a result of musculoskeletal pain caused by the
symptoms of a neurological disorder or an injury or it can be of unknown origin. These are long-term
conditions that severely impact quality of life, often leading to considerable disability and sometimes to
reduced life expectancy. As a result they have an enormous impact on European economies, as well as on
patients and their families.
Developed in line with a strategy to advocate for support of patient-led campaigns to educate, eradicate
stigma and raise awareness of neurological and chronic pain disorders, Together Under the Umbrella
aims:
•
to raise awareness of the prevalence of neurological disorders
•
to educate society on the range of disorders which are ‘neurological’
•
to ‘brand the brain’ by grouping these disorders under a common symbol to create a unified
and identifiable ‘brand’
•
to provide a platform for European and national patient neurology groups to promote and
profile their work in the areas of advocacy, communications and fundraising using the
hashtag #UnderTheUmbrella
www.undertheumbrella.eu
@UnderUmbrellaEU
contact: communications@efna.net
About Neurological Disorders
• Each year, approximately 1 in 3 Europeans are affected by a brain disorder1 and 1 in 5 by chronic pain 2.
• This includes 153 million people suffering migraine or other disabling headaches, 200 million
musculoskeletal disorders, 100 million people experiencing chronic pain, 8 million living with stroke, 6
million with dementia and 4 million with traumatic brain injury 2–4.
• The World Health Organisation estimates that brain disorders cause one-third of the burden of all
diseases5.
• €295 billion a year is spent on healthcare for neurological and brain disorders3, making them “the
number one economic challenge for European health care, now and in the future” 6.
About the European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA):
The European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) brings together European umbrella
organisations of neurological patient advocacy groups, to work with other associations in the field of
neurology, including the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS), in what has been termed a
“Partnership for Progress“.
EFNA’s aims are:
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To improve the quality of life of people with neurological disorders, their families and carers
To promote rapid and accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, rehabilitation and care for
people with neurological illnesses
To promote better access to information which is accurate and easy to understand
To promote public awareness and understanding of neurological conditions
To eliminate prejudice and stigma associated with neurological disorders
To increase priority given to neurology by policy and decision makers and by health care
providers.
EFNA currently has a membership of [ x] associations, based in [x ] countries Europe-wide.
www.efna.net | www.undertheumbrella.eu
@EU_Neurology | @UnderUmbrellaEU
contact: communications@efna.net