MS patients trapped by crushing treatment costs

Patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have raised urgent concerns over the exorbitant cost of and lack of access to modern treatment for the chronic neurological disease in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, urging the government to provide financial support for young people at risk of preventable disability.

Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system and can lead to impaired mobility, vision loss, and long-term disability, primarily afflicts young adults between the ages of 20 and 40, with women accounting for the majority of cases.

According to the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, nearly 2.9 million people worldwide are living with the disease. In Pakistan, doctors estimate there are between 12,000 and 14,000 diagnosed patients, though comprehensive national data remains unavailable.

Neurologists say that recent advances in medical treatment, particularly the use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), have significantly improved patient outcomes by slowing disease progression and reducing relapses. However, they warn that access to these treatments remains a major challenge due to prohibitive costs and limited healthcare resources.

Medical experts estimate that annual treatment expenses can reach nearly Rs1 million (approx $3,600) per patient, rendering long-term care unaffordable for most families. While many patients rely on the provincial Sehat Card programme for treatment, doctors and patient advocates say the coverage amount is insufficient to meet the full cost, and public hospitals lack access to modern therapies.

Patients who are unable to secure complete funding are often forced to interrupt their therapy, a situation neurologists warn can lead to rapid disease progression.