Multiple sclerosis on the rise in UAE

As the number of cases has increased dramatically in the past five years, an MS benefit concert was held in Dubai to raise funds and awareness.

DUBAI // Multiple sclerosis is on the increase in the UAE, according to an international network of support groups for the disease.

A survey conducted by the MS International Federation reveals that there were almost 1,500 MS patients in the UAE last year, compared with just 219 in 2008.

Last night, hundreds of people were expected to turn out for a concert to raise awareness and much-needed funds to support people with multiple sclerosis.

The “Music for the MS Soul” concert took place at Burj Park in Downtown Dubai with more than 300 invited guests and the public enjoying a performance by the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck.

The event was held in partnership with the medical research charity Al Jalila Foundation and the German pharmaceutical giant E Merck KG.

“We will be playing mainly classical German music like Mozart, Beethoven, as well as Russian composers like Tchaikovsky,” said Wolfgang Heinzel, the orchestra’s conductor, speaking before the event. “Music is a universal language and just as medicine is good for the body, music is good for the soul.”

It was the first time the orchestra performed in Dubai.

“We’ve normally had short stops in Dubai en route to concerts in India or Thailand, so this will be our first time in Dubai and we are all really looking forward to it,” Mr Heinzel said.

Marwan Abedin, chief executive of Dubai Healthcare City and a member of the board of Al Jalila Foundation, said: “The key thing for us is to raise awareness of MS in society and educate people so that they realise that this is not a taboo subject and that treatment is available.

“We haven’t set a target for how much we want to raise but we are inviting people to donate what they can on the night. We want to get the message across that early treatment is vital in helping to manage the disease.”

Organisers speaking before the concert said they expected a crowd of between 300 and 400.

Elcin Ergun, global head commercial at Merck Serono, one of the company’s divisions, said early detection was vital.

“We have treatments now that can successfully manage the condition and allow sufferers to live fulfilling lives, but early detection is crucial,” she said. “We also find that spring seems to bring on more cases of MS.

“The change of the season affects the nervous system in people with the condition.”

Paolo Carli, managing director of Merck Serono Middle East, said MS affected more young women than men.

“Typically about 65 per cent of the cases are women,” he said.

MS is a neurological condition that can affect speech, vision and motor functions, although symptoms vary among patients.