About 10,048 Nigerians are suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a combined brain and spinal cord ailment, the Nigerian Society of Neurological Sciences (NSNS), has said.
Professor Yakub Nyandaiti, the Secretary of NSNS, explained that Multiple Sclerosis is caused when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and destroys the fatty substance that coats and protects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the MS Awareness Campaign organised by Roche in conjunction with Nigerian Neurologists, he said, “MS affects 30,000 people across Africa, with approximately 2,800 new diagnoses every year.”
According to Nyandaiti, MS is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms that include problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance.
The Secretary suggested that those with the symptoms should visit their doctors early to improve long-term health.
There is presently, according to the Secretary, no cure for MS, stressing that signs and symptoms can be ameliorated successfully with several medications and research is still ongoing.
