About this episode

This episode discusses how geography and healthcare systems impact the multiple sclerosis journey and the barriers faced by patients worldwide.

Where someone lives can profoundly influence their multiple sclerosis journey. While advances in diagnosis and treatment have transformed MS care in many parts of the world, millions of people still face significant barriers to diagnosis, specialist care and life-changing therapies. In this episode of the ECTRIMS Podcast, host Brett Drummond speaks with Dr. Fiifi D u odu and Prof. Alfredo Damasceno about the realities of managing MS patients in diverse healthcare settings and what can be done to improve equity worldwide. Together, they discuss: 🔹 Why MS diagnosis can take years in some regions , and how the revised 2024 McDonald Criteria are influencing earlier MS diagnosis 🔹 The impact of limited access to neurologists and MRI 🔹 Barriers to disease-modifying therapies and anti-CD20 treatments 🔹 The role of regional initiatives such as AFRICTRIMS and BCTRIMS 🔹 Why greater diversity in MS clinical trials matters This episode highlights both the challenges and the remarkable progress being made to improve MS care across the globe.

People in this episode

Host: Brett Drummond

Guests: Dr. Fiifi D u odu, Prof. Alfredo Damasceno

Topics covered

• multiple sclerosis
• healthcare systems
• diagnosis
• treatment access
• equity in healthcare
• clinical trials

Keywords

• multiple sclerosis
• diagnosis
• treatment
• healthcare access
• equity
• neurologists
• MRI
• clinical trials

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AFRICTRIMS, BCTRIMS, McDonald Criteria

More episodes of The ECTRIMS Podcast

• MS Research Briefs: MRI Biomarkers, Machine Learning and the Future of MS Diagnosis · July 2, 2026 · 24 min
• Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis: Separating Evidence from Expectation · June 18, 2026 · 31 min
• Can the revised 2024 McDonald Diagnostic criteria solve the misdiagnosis problem in multiple sclerosis? · June 3, 2026 · 33 min
• EBV and Multiple Sclerosis: Could Infection Hold the Key to MS? · May 15, 2026 · 29 min

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