Last week MS Australia released a new report detailing the latest MS figures, showing the number of Australians living with MS is increasing at a significant rate. The latest data showed that 33,335 Australians were living with MS in 2021, an increase of 30% (7,728) over the four years since the previous update in 2017 (25,607).
The latest MS figures were published in the interim report, Health Economic Impact of Multiple Sclerosis in Australia in 2021, commissioned by MS Australia and prepared by the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania.
Principal Research Fellow at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and Clinical Neurologist at the Royal Hobart Hospital and one of the report authors, Professor Bruce Taylor, says that while the rise in prevalence is a concern, the results were not unexpected. “Increasing MS numbers are not what any of us want to see, however, the data is consistent with what we have been witnessing both domestically and internationally“, Professor Taylor shared.
To find out more information about the findings, please click here. MS Australia’s ‘Keys Facts and Figure about Multiple Sclerosis‘ fact sheet has been updated in line with the recent findings as well, which you can view here.
We understand these findings may affect members of our MS community in different ways and if you would like to discuss anything with us or seek support in any way, please reach out to our NeuroAssist team on 1800 177 591.
MS Australia, 2023, Multiple sclerosis rising and accelerating in Australia new data shows, https://www.msaustralia.org.au/news/multiple-sclerosis-rising-and-accelerating-in-australia-new-data-shows/
