MS Society welcomes new
national monitoring system
Ottawa – March 23, 2011 – The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada welcomes the federal government’s announcement of a national monitoring system that will capture information to help identify disease patterns and track treatments and long-term outcomes for people living with MS.
Ottawa, March 23, 2011. Chief public health officer Dr. David Butler-Jones, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, Dorothyanne Brown who lives with MS and MS Society president and CEO Yves Savoie mark the launch of the MS monitoring system.
“People living with MS are at the centre of our work and we look forward to collaborating with the MS community, governments, health agencies and the Canadian Network of MS Clinics to build the monitoring system,” says Yves Savoie, president and chief executive officer of the MS Society of Canada.”The more that is understood about the disease, its progression and the use of treatments in this country, the more people with MS can make the best choices about their own care.”
Clinical and demographic information will be collected from people living with MS across Canada on a voluntary basis through their health care practitioner. The Canadian Network of MS Clinics will be the main data suppliers to CIHI. The data will be stored and used according to CIHI’s privacy protection policies and procedures, which are recognized as being among the most robust in Canada. Once sufficient information is collected for analysis purposes, CIHI will begin producing reports that will be made publicly available for people living with the disease and for all Canadians.
“People living with MS will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this monitoring system as it will shed light on important topics like CCSVI, the long-term benefit of current therapies and also serve as an invaluable tool in assisting researchers, health professionals and policy makers in their work,” concludes Savoie. “We are pleased that MS has been recognized as a top-priority health issue and thank Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq for making this important initiative possible.”
About multiple sclerosis and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. It is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Canada. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, and the unpredictable effects of MS last for the rest of their lives. The MS Society provides services to people with MS and their families and funds research to find the cause and cure for this disease. Please visit mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 to make a donation or for more information.
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For more information:
Stewart Wong
Senior Manager, Communications and Media Relations stewart.wong@mssociety.ca
416-967-3025
416-575-3025 (cell)
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