Iran (IMNA) - Every year on May 30, World Multiple Sclerosis Day is observed to increase awareness about this chronic neurological condition and to break down societal barriers.
Connections is the topic of World MS Day 2020-2022. The MS Connections campaign is all about fostering community, self-connection, and access to excellent care.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, more than 2.8 million people are affected by the neurological condition, which affects women more than males.
The overall number of MS patients hospitalized by the Ministry of Health system across the country has already surpassed 70,000, which is a worrisome figure, according to Mehdi Shadnoush, head of the Health Ministry's transplantation and disease management center.
According to global statistics, the average prevalence is 112 people per 100,000 populations and its incidence is 5.2 per 100,000 populations. Mahdi Shadnoush, the head of management center for transplantation and special diseases at the Iranian Ministry of Health stated that the disease is still 2.5 times more prevalent in women than men and develops more in the age group of 20 to 45 years. This ratio, of course, varies from country to country.
As reported by IRNA, every 87 people in Iran are diagnosed with the condition, making it one of the countries with the highest incidence rate.
However, in recent decades, MS incidence in Iran has increased more than ever, particularly in urban areas, he lamented, adding that prompt identification and control of the condition among adolescents is now more important than ever.
Since 2005, MS has been classified as a rare and special disease, and the Ministry of Health has supported it, Shadnoush said, adding that a registration and census system, as well as an advisory scientific committee to develop general policies in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients, as well as academic MS committees, have been established to confirm the disease and address issues.
At the same time, he noted, comprehensive facilities for delivering specific patient services at 13 university centers, four of which are in Tehran and the rest in Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Kerman, Mazandaran, Kordestan, and Kermanshah.
He went on to remark, "We have also outfitted and set up centers for providing extensive therapy services to MS patients."
Based on government figures, around 120,000 individuals in the nation suffer from uncommon illnesses. The outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran has exacerbated the issue.
At the same time, the need for social and welfare support to these patients remains pressing, despite the fact that repressive US sanctions have heightened worries about them.
Despite claims that food and medication were protected from US sanctions, financial and banking penalties have curtailed the life-saving drug trade, which has disproportionately impacted individuals suffering from rare diseases.
Furthermore, worries of running afoul of Washington have limited shipments to Iran.
MS sufferers take three types of medications, two of which are currently made locally by Iranian pharmaceutical companies, while the third is difficult to obtain.
As a result, humanitarian trade exemptions (such as food, medication, and medical equipment) have proven ineffective in safeguarding Iranian patients from access to imported medicine.
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