Future of management of multiple sclerosis in the middle East: a consensus view from specialists in ten countries.
The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is now considered to be medium-to-high in the Middle East and is rising, particularly among women. While the characteristics of the disease and the response of patients to disease-modifying therapies are generally comparable between the Middle East and other areas, significant barriers to achieving optimal care for MS exist in these developing nations. A group of physicians involved in the management of MS in ten Middle Eastern countries met to consider the future of MS care in the region, using a structured process to reach a consensus. Six key priorities were identified: early diagnosis and management of MS, the provision of multidisciplinary MS centres, patient engagement and better communication with stakeholders, regulatory body education and reimbursement, a commitment to research, and more therapy options with better benefit-to-risk ratios. The experts distilled these priorities into a single vision statement: "Optimization of patient-centred multidisciplinary strategies to improve the quality of life of people with MS." These core principles will contribute to the development of a broader consensus on the future of care for MS in the Middle East.
King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud Ben Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, National Guard Health Affairs, P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia ; Prince Mohammed Ben Abdulaziz Hospital, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 1176, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed
M
Aljumah
Division of Neurology, Amiri Hospital Kuwait, P.O. Box 1661, 73767 Qurtoba, Kuwait ; Division of Neurology, Dasman Diabetes Institute, 15462 Dasman, Kuwait.
Raed
R
Alroughani
Clinical Neurosciences Department, Salmaniya Medical Complex, 20525 Manama, Bahrain.
I
I
Alsharoqi
Department of Neurosciences, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia.
Saeed A
SA
Bohlega
Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology Section, Arab Medical Center and Khalidi Hospital, P.O. Box 925209, Amman 11190, Jordan.
Maurice
M
Dahdaleh
Department of Neurology (Medicine), Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.
Dirk
D
Deleu
Merck Serono Intercontinental Region, Dubai 22730, UAE.
Khaled
K
Esmat
Department of Neurology, Damascus Hospital, P.O. Box 10053, Damascus, Syria.
Ahmad
A
Khalifa
MS Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1136746911, Iran.
Mohammad A
MA
Sahraian
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Tawam Hospital, P.O. Box 15258, Al Ain, UAE.
Miklós
M
Szólics
Neurology Section, King Khalid University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11691, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman
A
Altahan
American University of Beirut Medical Center, Multiple Sclerosis Center, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon.
Bassem I
BI
Yamout
Neurologische Klinik Bamberg, 96049 Bamberg, Germany.
Peter
P
Rieckmann
Neurology Section, King Khalid University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11691, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulkader
A
Daif