World Brain Day 2021: Global campaign to stop multiple sclerosis

Neurological disorders continue to be the leading cause of disability worldwide, and their overall burden will only continue to rise with the ongoing pandemic. The situation is further worsened by post-Covid-19 neurological syndromes.^1–4 The burden of these illnesses impacts mostly low- to middle-income countries, where larger percentage of the world’s population also continue to suffer the consequences of the ongoing pandemic.^5–7

In this context, the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) World Brain Day (WBD) campaign is of particular importance. Since the inception of the WBD campaign in 2014, this global advocacy initiative has been very successful.

Every year on 22 July, the WBD campaign advocates brain health, focusing on a different topic theme.^8,9 This year, the WFN is working with the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF), along with various other broader global neurology and patient-support organisations, aiming to reach over 100 million people globally. The 2021 theme ‘Stop Multiple Sclerosis’ is particularly timely given the increasing focus on neuroinflammation in both COVID-19 complications and various other disorders (https://worldneurologyonline.com/article/world-brain-day-2021-stop-multiple-sclerosis). ¹⁰ The WBD 2021 campaign will launch its first global webinar on 22 July 2021 and readers of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal are encouraged to pre-register for the live webinar here. Registered readers are also welcome to submit their questions to the expert panel here.

Public awareness programmes, educational programmes and social media activities will be promoting this advocacy campaign from 22 July through to the end of October 2021.

We invite you to join the anticipated 2.8 million strong social media campaign to support and endorse WBD 2021.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, inflammatory, demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system with various clinical features affecting every aspect of human life and function. Just under 3 million people live with MS worldwide, two-thirds of whom struggle to access early diagnosis or effective disease-modifying treatment. ¹¹ The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) report of 2019 identified MS as the most common inflammatory demyelinating neurological disorder among young people with the potential to cause cumulative neurological disability throughout adult life. ¹² The unpredictable and uncertain nature of its timing and the extent of the disability at the prime of the affected person’s life impact heavily on the affected and their families. To make matters worse, in many regions the prevalence of MS has doubled or at least significantly increased since 1990.^11,12

MS by itself is not a predictor of worse outcomes following acute infection with COVID-19. However, when associated with increased disability, use of certain treatments (e.g. corticosteroids and some disease-modifying therapies), male sex or ethnicity, it can be associated with greater mortality and morbidity. ¹³

Irrespective of advances in MS, ready access to treatment is not possible in over 70% of the world. ¹¹ Even in higher-income countries, the cost of therapeutics for MS has more than doubled over the last 7 years, primarily due to increased prices per prescription. ¹⁴

The WBD 2021 is dedicated to the theme of stopping MS. WBD 2021 provides an opportunity to highlight the urgent need for improved access to health care, earlier diagnosis, more effective early treatment, improved education, and research worldwide.

The global advocacy campaign focuses on the following five key messages:

Disability: MS is a debilitating neurological disease that impacts every aspect of a person’s life, with effects ranging from cognitive impairment to significant physical disability.

Prevalence: 2.8 million people of all ages globally are affected by MS, and someone receives this life-altering diagnosis every 5 minutes.

Education: We must work with health care professionals to recognise the signs and symptoms of MS so people can be diagnosed early and effectively treated.

Access to treatment: Disease-modifying treatments slow disease progression, dramatically improving the quality of life for those living with MS, yet access to these medications is unavailable in many parts of the world.

Advocacy: We can stop MS by diagnosing earlier, providing better access to life-changing treatments, and advocating for improving the quality of life for those living with MS and their caregivers.

We invite Multiple Sclerosis Journal readers to become part of the 2021 WBD campaign. We aim to see 2.8 million social media posts on #world brain day 2021, #stop MS. You are invited to visit our WBD 2021 toolbox here and participate in the global campaign by posting and sharing these messages and videos with your friends, colleagues, MS patients and caregivers.

We encourage you to create a 60-second video supporting the WBD 2021 campaign and emailing it to wbd2021@wfneurology.org.

Let us work together to stop MS!