More Aussies living with MS

THE findings of a Tasmanian study into multiple sclerosis — the first in nearly eight years to provide a comprehensive analysis of MS in Australia — have been released.

The report found that while the number of Australians living with MS continues to rise — now at 25,600 — the course of the disease is shifting, with more people able to stay in work and needing less care.

However, the costs for people living with more advanced MS are very high, more than triple compared with those with milder disease.

The Health Economic Impact of Multiple Sclerosis in Australia 2017 report was commissioned by MS Research Australia and prepared by the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research.

The report shows how many Australians are living with MS, the costs of the disease from an individual and societal perspective, and the quality of life indices for individuals living with the disease.

It was launched by Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison in Canberra yesterday.

Lead researcher Andrew Palmer, from the Menzies Institute, said while the research was led from Tasmania, it incorporated data from across Australia.

“The main findings were that the number of people with MS has increased by just over 20 per cent from 2010,” Prof Palmer said.

“[We] confirmed the presence of a latitude gradient of MS, so the further away from the equator you are, the higher your chance of having MS, so Tasmania is much more affected per head of population than, say, Queensland or WA.

“When it comes to the cost of illness of MS, between 2010 and 2017 there has been a 17 per cent increase, from $58,000 per person per year to just over $68,000.”

MS Research Australia chief executive Mathew Miles said advancements in treatment had helped transform the path of the condition over the past decade.

“[However] MS remains a very challenging condition, particularly in those with more progressive forms, placing a very significant burden on people and their families,” Dr Miles said.