Contributions
Abstract: 56
Type: Oral
Aim: To describe and evaluate the challenges for care and research in multiple sclerosis (MS) in Australia and New Zealand.
Background: The combined population of Australia and New Zealand is currently 28.5 million (New Zealand 4.5 million and Australia 24 million). It is estimated from a range of sources that there are about 23,000 people living with MS in Australia and 3,700 in New Zealand giving estimated overall prevalence of 94/100,000 with a well-documented latitudinal gradient in both (5-fold in eastern Australia and 2.8-fold in New Zealand) and a reasonably common ethnic and cultural background.
Results: Both countries are fortunate to have large cohorts of active neurologists involved in the care and research of people with MS (PwMS) in well-organized but separate health systems. However, while in Australia the opportunity afforded to PwMS is arguably second to none with the number of people who received or are receiving a disease modifying therapy (DMT) at around 85% or 19,000, in New Zealand it is only 20% or around 700 (up from 350 five years ago). From the outset of the DMT era in Australia in 1995 these have been accessible for those eligible in Australia without any additional restrictions over the evidence base of the pivotal trials for their use.
Access to regular MRI is also facilitated by both health systems and the specialist approach to care is relatively uniform with a low tolerance of disease activity, though more readily achieved in Australia with longer and greater accessibility to DMT.
Challenges to care represent lack of useful treatments for Progressive MS (PMS) some continuing granularity in the accessibility of treatments for relapsing forms of MS in New Zealand and insufficient support services for significantly disabled PwMS which are mainly orchestrated by regional MS Societies.
Research in MS is active in both countries led by a natural coalition of clinician scientists and neurologists through MS society and government funding. PrevANZ, a Vitamin D3 intervention trial, is wholly funded by MS Research Australia. Annually there is total research expenditure of AU$10million from all sources Including significant contributions to the International PMS Alliance.
Conclusion: On a global scale MS care and research in Australia and New Zealand are close to being the most accessible and effective given the numbers of PwMS, carers, researchers and the systems in which they operate.
Disclosure: Professor Carroll has been the recipient of travel assistance and honoraria for participation in industry sponsored meetings from, and has provided advice to Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen-Idec, Novartis, Genzyme, Sanofi-Aventis, CSL, Merck-Serono, Teva and Roche and is also the Asia Pacific editor of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Vice President of the World Federation of Neurology and a Board member of MS Research Australia and MSA.
Abstract: 56
Type: Oral
Aim: To describe and evaluate the challenges for care and research in multiple sclerosis (MS) in Australia and New Zealand.
Background: The combined population of Australia and New Zealand is currently 28.5 million (New Zealand 4.5 million and Australia 24 million). It is estimated from a range of sources that there are about 23,000 people living with MS in Australia and 3,700 in New Zealand giving estimated overall prevalence of 94/100,000 with a well-documented latitudinal gradient in both (5-fold in eastern Australia and 2.8-fold in New Zealand) and a reasonably common ethnic and cultural background.
Results: Both countries are fortunate to have large cohorts of active neurologists involved in the care and research of people with MS (PwMS) in well-organized but separate health systems. However, while in Australia the opportunity afforded to PwMS is arguably second to none with the number of people who received or are receiving a disease modifying therapy (DMT) at around 85% or 19,000, in New Zealand it is only 20% or around 700 (up from 350 five years ago). From the outset of the DMT era in Australia in 1995 these have been accessible for those eligible in Australia without any additional restrictions over the evidence base of the pivotal trials for their use.
Access to regular MRI is also facilitated by both health systems and the specialist approach to care is relatively uniform with a low tolerance of disease activity, though more readily achieved in Australia with longer and greater accessibility to DMT.
Challenges to care represent lack of useful treatments for Progressive MS (PMS) some continuing granularity in the accessibility of treatments for relapsing forms of MS in New Zealand and insufficient support services for significantly disabled PwMS which are mainly orchestrated by regional MS Societies.
Research in MS is active in both countries led by a natural coalition of clinician scientists and neurologists through MS society and government funding. PrevANZ, a Vitamin D3 intervention trial, is wholly funded by MS Research Australia. Annually there is total research expenditure of AU$10million from all sources Including significant contributions to the International PMS Alliance.
Conclusion: On a global scale MS care and research in Australia and New Zealand are close to being the most accessible and effective given the numbers of PwMS, carers, researchers and the systems in which they operate.
Disclosure: Professor Carroll has been the recipient of travel assistance and honoraria for participation in industry sponsored meetings from, and has provided advice to Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen-Idec, Novartis, Genzyme, Sanofi-Aventis, CSL, Merck-Serono, Teva and Roche and is also the Asia Pacific editor of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Vice President of the World Federation of Neurology and a Board member of MS Research Australia and MSA.