Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week – shining a light on unmet needs  

MS Brain Health – time matters report 2024 

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in MS care, including improved diagnostic techniques, new treatment options and better understanding of disease mechanisms. However, despite these advancements, there are still ongoing unmet needs for people living with MS. Many patients face delays in diagnosis, restricted access to effective therapies and challenges in ongoing care.  

Building on the previous report, the 2024 report recommends specific actions to achieve the best possible outcomes for people living with MS, and rare neuroimmune conditions, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease. The overarching theme is to act early and take a person-centred approach to care, regardless of geographic or economic barriers. 

Key recommendations 

To achieve the best outcomes for people affected and society, global policies must ensure: 

• Equitable access: all patients, regardless of geography or economic status, should benefit from the latest therapies and diagnostic advancements 

• Specialized care: invest in neuroimmunology care units or centres of excellence to provide comprehensive care. 

What more can be done? Read the full recommendations here. 

• Timely diagnosis and early treatment 

• Optimal and person-centred care 

• Enhanced support systems 

• Leverage digital health tools. 

The report in numbers: 

• 17 authors – a diverse, international group of MS experts 

• 41 working group members across four working groups, including experts from healthcare, health economics, policy and patient advocacy 

• 29 policy recommendations. 

Learn more about MS Brain Health here. 

Critical to implementing many of the MS Brain Health recommendations is sharing of knowledge and best practices among HCPs and MS researchers globally and promoting an open dialogue between patients and their HCPs. triMS.online is a unique, educational initiative open to all MS specialists, researchers and associated HCPs, free-of-charge, which provides a platform for doing just that. The mission of triMS.online is to reach a diverse global audience of professionals to advance equality for all working in the MS field.  

To be flexible to the needs of its audience and to accommodate busy professional and personal commitments, we recently evolved the format of triMS.online. It now provides bite-sized educational content on the latest research, clinical insights and patient perspectives to be viewed on demand. 

Our most recent content discusses a key current topic in MS – smouldering MS. As well as discussing the latest information on detection and monitoring, speakers explore how to effectively communicate this with patients. By empowering people living with MS, as well as those supporting them, with knowledge and resources, we aim to enhance patient care.