The EMSP and MSIF - umbrella organisations for the MS movement
in Europe and beyond - support initiatives around the world for World MS Day on
26 May. This year, the theme is employment. New research commissioned by the
MSIF shows that loss of employment is the main factor in the global economic
impact of MS. Many people with MS face discrimination at work or lose their
jobs owing to a lack of understanding of the disease. Yet an MSIF survey on MS and
employment showed that simple changes, such as flexitime or seated work,
can help people stay in the workforce for longer.
In Europe, 80 in every 100,000 people have MS and the average
age of onset is 29. Many are still at the start of their career when diagnosed
and find that MS severely impacts on their ability to work at this crucial time
in their lives. Women, who are three times more likely than men to develop MS,
are often hit especially hard. Finding time to balance MS, employment, and
motherhood is challenging.
Additional data on these issues were generated last year
through the “Multiple sclerosis information
dividend” pilot project on a planned European MS Register. This project,
which ended recently, was co-funded by the European Commission’s public health
programme.
World MS Day will see employment-related campaigning activities
in countries across Europe and beyond. People living with MS are keen to raise
awareness of the disease to stimulate funding for research and treatment. Many
organisations are hoping to grab the attention of policy makers who can ensure
that their rights to equality and non-discrimination are upheld in line with
the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.
