OTTAWA – The federal government is establishing a monitoring system that will keep tabs on the health of Canadians with multiple sclerosis.
The Multiple Sclerosis Monitoring System is aimed at giving patients, health-care professionals, researchers and policy makers a better understanding of disease patterns and the use of treatments across Canada.
Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada’s chief public health officer, says that over the long term the system will help identify the most effective treatments for MS.
He says the data collected will help health-system planners identify future needs and better plan distribution of health resources to ensure people with MS have access to the care they need.
MS Society president and CEO Yves Savoie welcomed the creation of a national monitoring system, saying there are many questions about multiple sclerosis that still need to be answered.
There are an estimated 55,000 to 75,000 people with MS in Canada, which has one of the highest rates of the disease in the world.
