Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: With the increasing global and national burden of Parkinson's disease, rural Nepal possesses unique challenges regarding the quality of life of Parkinson's disease. In this article, the authors express perspectives on problems and potential solutions. PERSPECTIVE: One of the major problems regarding Parkinson's disease care is the availability of very few specialized centers. Both the motor and nonmotor symptoms are affecting the quality of life in Parkinson's disease. The geographical and social isolation and loss of independence in the rural population are the major problems that contribute to a poor quality of life. A way forward can be establishing a central public-owned neurological institute with provincial satellite centers committing to provide pharmacological, surgical, rehabilitative, and telemedicine care. CONCLUSION: The authors feel that it is necessary to reduce the travel frequency of the Parkinson's disease patients to the capital of Nepal for appropriate care and encourage multi-modality care at the provincial, district, and municipal levels.