“Today, people with multiple sclerosis may actually be a little less afraid after being diagnosed with the disease, although there is still much to be done on progressive forms.” In the last decade, “many things have happened for the disease, starting with new therapies – from injectable only to oral – which have definitely improved” the quality of our life. Considering that it is a pathology that mainly affects women between 20 and 40 years old, another milestone concerns motherhood which was once “not recommended”, while “today it is even warmly recommended by neurologists to people with multiple sclerosis. We have then achieved several rights : we have a charter of rights and an agenda” which helped us “to make our needs understood”. Francesco Vacca, national president of Aism, the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association, said this to Adnkronos on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of 'I don't sclero', the information and awareness project on multiple sclerosis which has an online community of 79 thousand people.
“We are then moving towards personalized medicine – continues Vacca – and this too is very important because, with more than 20 therapies available, we can choose, together with the neurologist, what our life path will be”, given that “multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease”. Finally, “a proximal, close, territorial medicine is being created: one of the missions of our 2025 Agenda is taking charge”, but the objective remains “definitely that of finding the cure”. In the meantime, “new therapies that will give us a better quality of life, to live better with our pathology” are fundamental. Among the rights obtained, the one to work stands out: people with MS are young and for this reason “obviously” they want “work”.
An important goal to be achieved, for the Aism president, is a “minor disability”, especially “for people who have a more serious pathology, such as progressive forms. Let us remember that about fifty years ago the statistics said that, out of 10, 7 ended up in wheelchairs and 3 managed to get by a little. Today – underlines Vacca – fortunately this photograph has been reversed, that is, 3 are in wheelchairs, but 7 manage to get by. But we don't even want those 3 anymore “. For the immediate future, for progressive forms, “the objective is medicines that can improve the quality of life. We have done a lot, but there is still really a lot to do”.
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