The effects of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) the debilitating neurological disorder that attacks the central nervous system will be in focus during a dedicated one-day conference at the upcoming Arab Health Congress 2011.

Arab Health, one of the world's largest healthcare tradeshows and congresses located in the Middle East, will be held from January 24 to 27 at Dubai International Conventional and Exhibition Centre.

MS strikes twice as many women as it does men, generally affecting adults between 20 and 40 years of age, however it is known to affect young children as well, a statement said.

Although no accurate data is available, according to US-based WrongDiagnosis.com, part of the HealthGrades network, MS is estimated to affect in excess of 400,000 people in the US and extrapolating that prevalence across the Middle East suggests the region has over 350,000 sufferers, it added.

“MS is a complex disease with a variety of symptoms which can range from impaired vision, loss of balance, to lack of mobility and bladder control,” said Dr Shareefa Abdool, president of the UAE-based Emirates Neurological Society (EMINS), who will chair the conference of the new Multiple Sclerosis Update on January 27.

“It is imperative that diagnosis is made as early as possible so that a course of treatment can be prescribed which can at least manage the symptoms and offer patients a near normal life,” she added.

“MS was once predominant amongst Caucasian women living in colder climates, typically in North America and Europe. However it has become more common in the Middle East and with so little known about the disease and no known cure, that is a concern,” said Simon Page, group director of life sciences at IIR Middle East, the organiser of Arab Health 2011.

Recognising the potential scale of the problem, the Middle East Multiple Sclerosis Patients Platform, an affiliation of independent MS organisations, groups of healthcare professionals and commercial corporations was launched last year in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi aiming to at least enhance the quality of life for MS sufferers. – TradeArabia News Service