Multiple Sclerosis International Federation

Just 10% of the winners have been women.

And then there's the Charcot Award, and it's given every two years by the MS International Federation.

They've only had one female winner, so that's 5%.

So I would love to say in five years' time, there's much more of an equitable distribution of winners and that women's health is part of health in MS research.

So let us address the critical issue of global implementation and overcoming massive resource barriers.

The 2024 guidelines formally acknowledge the stark global reality reported by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation.

The data reveals that about 90% of low- and middle-income countries face severe structural barriers to diagnosing multiple sclerosis accurately.

These systemic barriers include a severe lack of practicing clinical neurologists, an almost complete absence of advanced 3.0 Tesla MRI machines, and a profound lack of specialized laboratory infrastructure.

Access to personalized evidence-based exercise advice varies considerably between countries and healthcare systems.

For internationally accessible English language guidance, the MS International Federation, MSIF, provides resources on exercise and physical activity, including programs suitable for different abilities.

The European Multiple Sclerosis platform's Keep Moving with MS program includes strengths, endurance, balance, and stability sessions that can be adapted to different levels of mobility.

Another practical English language resource with exercises for different levels of mobility is available from the MS Society UK, and I will put the links into the show notes, and of course, they are included in the blog article.