What is MS?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease of the nervous system

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Today more than 2.8 million people around the world have MS.

MS is an inflammatory demyelinating condition. This means it is caused by damage to myelin – a fatty material that insulates nerves, acting much like the covering of an electric wire. Myelin allows a nerve to transmit its impulses rapidly. It is the speed and efficiency with which these impulses are conducted that permits smooth, rapid and co-ordinated movements to be performed with little conscious effort.

In MS, the loss of myelin (demyelination) is accompanied by a disruption in the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain. This produces the various symptoms of MS. The sites where myelin is lost (plaques or lesions) appear as hardened (scar) areas: in multiple sclerosis these scars appear at different times and in different areas of the brain and spinal cord. The term multiple sclerosis means ‘many scars’.

MS symptoms vary widely and include blurred vision, weak limbs, tingling sensations, unsteadiness and fatigue. For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while, for others, it has a progressive pattern. For everyone with MS, it makes life unpredictable.

Quick MS facts

• MS is a progressive disease of the central nervous system, for which there is no cure at present.
• More women than men have MS – it is two to three times more common in women than in men.
• MS is the most common disease of the central nervous system in young adults.
• MS is not directly hereditary, although genetic susceptibility plays a part in its development.
• MS is not contagious or infectious.
• Diagnosis of MS is generally between 20 and 40 years of age, although onset may be earlier.
• There are a wide range of symptoms, with fatigue being one of the most common.
• MS is more commonly found in countries further from the equator.
• There is no drug that can cure MS, but treatments are available which can modify the course of the disease.
• Many of the symptoms of MS can be successfully managed and treated.

Who gets MS?

Epidemiological studies have helped to identify factors that may be related to the risk of developing MS

Epidemiology is essentially the study of disease in people. It looks at the patterns, causes and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations.

Epidemiological studies have helped to identify factors that may be related to the risk of developing MS, such as latitude, migration patterns, genetics and infectious processes – read more about Causes of MS.

According to the Atlas of MS, there are about 2.8 million people in the world with MS, although the number may be much higher as it is likely that many people with MS remain undiagnosed in certain parts of the world.

Although MS is found in all parts of the world, its prevalence varies greatly, being highest in North America and Europe, and lowest in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. It is almost unheard of in certain populations such as the Inuits, New Zealand Maoris and Australian Aborigines.

MS affects two to three times as many women as men, suggesting a role of hormones in the disease process.

Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, although around three to five per cent of people with MS are diagnosed as children, and it can occur in much older adults.

Our strategy

Together we’re stronger than MS

Together we’re stronger than MS is the new strategy for the global MSIF movement.

The focus of this strategy is to mobilise all of us inside the movement; organisations, people affected by MS, volunteers and staff, to achieve our common mission:

To bring the world together to improve the quality of life of everybody affected by MS and to end MS  forever.

If we work together we can achieve this faster and better than if we each work on our own.

The start of the strategy marks 50 years of the MSIF movement and we pledge to build a stronger, broader, global movement made up of effective MS organisations, engaged individuals and strategic international collaborations. Together we will tackle the big challenges for people affected by MS in countries rich and poor.

Our aims

Our five aims show the impact we aim to achieve as a movement over the next 10 – 15 years. These aims are all connected and mutually support each other.

Objectives and actions

In order to work towards these aims, we have identified a number of objectives and activities for the five year strategic period.

• Make substantial progress in the search for treatments
• Advance systems for enabling data sharing
• Fill gaps in the global MS research workforce
• Develop a way to measure the impact of research
• Increase funding of MS research by the MSIF movement
• Develop an approach to address barriers to accessing treatments
• Improve access to diagnosis as early as possible
• Repurpose and translate materials for adaption and use around the world
• Build networks of membership staff and volunteers in communications, care and services
• Strengthen MS organisations in countries with challenging socio-economic conditions
• Enhance the effectiveness of member organisations and MSIF
• Ensure effective and inclusive international collaborations
• Strengthen communication and networking across the MSIF movement
• Develop advocacy tools for national, local and individual action