Overview

• Approximately 144,000 people in Italy live with multiple sclerosis and the ‘Hard to Reach’ project found over 14,000 lack contact with clinical centers or multidisciplinary assistance
• The average annual social cost of MS is €46,400 per patient and rises above €63,000 in severe cases while families of the most critical patients pay up to €14,000 out-of-pocket
• Seventy-eight percent of MS patients report at least one unmet need, with psychological support, home care and rehabilitation services most frequently lacking
• Patients in southern regions such as Calabria, Sicily, Puglia and Sardinia face the widest gaps in care, with over 60% deprived of adequate rehabilitation and psychological services
• Aism and Fism are calling for a structured, proactive healthcare network and a public consultation to shape a comprehensive MS agenda by 2030