Rise in MS diagnosis drives call for early care

Doctors across the Caribbean are reportedly seeing more people being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a trend linked to greater health awareness, earlier doctor visits, and quicker access to specialists.

Although exact regional figures are not yet available, neurologists report a clear rise in patients seeking assessment.

Against this backdrop, medical specialists and neurologists participated in a forum on MS on Saturday in Barbados. They stressed that modern treatments have greatly improved outcomes and overturned old beliefs about lifelong disability.

Experts gathered at the Hilton Hotel for a forum on Multiple Sclerosis to help raise awareness and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment

Consultant neurologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Dr Simeona Jacinto, said primary care doctors and the public must recognise early warning signs such as sudden vision problems or spinal cord‑related symptoms.

Dr Simeona Jacinto, Consultant Neurologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

“When you thought of multiple sclerosis, you instantly thought disability, never get married, never have children, have to stop working, and that is simply no longer the case with multiple sclerosis,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Dr Jacinto added that early diagnosis and starting treatment quickly help patients maintain their quality of life. 

She noted that access to important support services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychiatry, varies across Caribbean countries.

Medical professionals continue to urge early recognition and early treatment so patients can benefit from more effective MS therapies.

(RR)