Socio-economic problems of patients with multiple sclerosis

The social and economic significance of a disease is determined by the damage it causes to the health of the population and the country's economy. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a severe organic disease of the nervous system, which is characterized by a number of features that allow it to be classified as a socially significant problem. The increase in the incidence and prevalence of MS with the expansion of geographic zones, observed throughout the world, undoubtedly determines the social significance of the problem. The inevitable and rather early disability of young people of working age creates many problems for patients with MS: withdrawal from social and work activities, economic costs due to the need for repeated courses of treatment, family problems, the inability to raise children and, finally, family breakdown. All this leads to a decrease in the quality of life of patients with MS. Abroad, there are whole programs for the adaptation of patients with MS, the purpose of which is medical and social rehabilitation, issues of ethics and deontology; a large amount of literature is published to help patients and their relatives. In our country, almost no attention was paid to this problem. There are only data on the incidence, prevalence and disability of patients with MS.