Abu Dhabi has placed multiple sclerosis awareness at the centre of a nationwide health campaign as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society brings World MS Day activities to communities across the UAE for the fourth consecutive year.The campaign, launched to mark World MS Day on 30 May, is designed to strengthen public understanding of MS, encourage earlier conversations around diagnosis and make support for people living with the condition more visible across healthcare, workplace and community settings. It comes as the UAE expands efforts to improve chronic neurological care through advocacy, research funding and inclusion-focused programmes.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. It can cause fatigue, vision problems, numbness, mobility difficulties, cognitive changes and other symptoms that may vary widely between individuals. Diagnosis can be complex because symptoms often appear intermittently and may overlap with other conditions. Women are diagnosed more frequently than men, and the condition commonly affects people during working age, making support at home, in clinics and at workplaces a core part of long-term care.
The UAE campaign is aligned with the global World MS Day theme, “My MS Diagnosis: Navigating MS Together”, which focuses on the experiences surrounding diagnosis and the need for accessible information, practical guidance and strong support networks. Activities are being rolled out through healthcare facilities, partner organisations, workplaces and public spaces, with the aim of shifting awareness beyond clinical settings and into everyday conversations.
Her Excellency Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Vice Chair of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, said World MS Day was a reminder that living with MS should not be experienced alone, but shaped by families, caregivers, communities and support systems. She said the society’s campaign was intended to bring together healthcare institutions, community partners and the wider public to expand practical resources and foster a more inclusive environment for people living with MS across the country.
A central element of the initiative is a set of practical resources designed for different stages of the MS journey. The Talking About Your MS Diagnosis Guide has been developed as a self-advocacy tool to help people navigate conversations with relatives, friends and colleagues after diagnosis. The guide includes advice and exercises intended to support more confident communication at a time when many patients face uncertainty, anxiety and changes in daily life.
A separate Empowering Carers guide focuses on the role of family members and caregivers, who often provide sustained emotional and practical support. The society has also introduced an HR Guide for employers and human resources teams, aimed at improving workplace understanding of MS and helping organisations provide reasonable adjustments for employees living with the condition. The guide has been endorsed by The Butterfly, an organisation specialising in inclusion and accessibility solutions.
The resources are being distributed as part of an awareness effort across more than 30 healthcare facilities and partner networks. The approach reflects a growing emphasis on early support after diagnosis, particularly as MS can affect employment, family planning, social participation and mental wellbeing. For many patients, access to clear information at diagnosis can influence treatment adherence, workplace disclosure and long-term confidence in managing the disease.
Community participation is also being built through a café activation under the theme “Carry It Forward”, taking place across more than 30 participating locations in the UAE on 30 and 31 May. The initiative is intended to encourage informal conversations about MS in public spaces, helping move awareness beyond specialist clinics and patient groups. Landmark illuminations across the UAE are also planned to raise visibility of the condition.
The society will extend the campaign through an online webinar on 5 June, bringing together experts in nutrition, mental health and research to discuss wellbeing strategies and UAE-based work related to MS. The session is open to the public and is expected to address the role of holistic care, including lifestyle management, mental health support and evidence-based clinical follow-up.
The campaign comes alongside wider moves to build a stronger MS research and care ecosystem in the UAE. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Research Grants Programme, launched in June 2023, has allocated nearly AED11 million to studies focused on treatment, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, prevalence and genetics. Four more research projects received funding this month under the programme’s third cycle, reinforcing the push to generate UAE-specific evidence for care and policy.
Last year, Erth Zayed Philanthropies committed AED25 million to support the society’s national MS agenda, including work linked to the country’s first National Coalition for MS. The coalition is intended to bring together stakeholders across care, research and inclusion, reflecting the view that MS management requires coordination between clinicians, policymakers, employers, families and patient advocates.
Available UAE data show why awareness remains central to the campaign. Earlier studies estimated total MS prevalence in the UAE at about 18 to 19 per 100,000 people, while rates among UAE nationals in Abu Dhabi have been estimated at about 64 per 100,000. Global MS organisations estimate that about 2.9 million people live with the condition worldwide, with barriers to diagnosis and care continuing to affect outcomes across regions.
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