MELBOURNE, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- About 3.1 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a 54-percent increase over the past decade, an international study involving scientists in Australia has revealed.
The study, based on data from 133 countries and regions representing 93 percent of the world's population, provides the latest update of the Britain-based MS International Federation's Atlas of MS, the leading source of global data on the prevalence and impact of the disease, according to a statement released Tuesday by Australia's University of Tasmania (UTAS).
The findings, published in Multiple Sclerosis Journal, also reflect trends in Australia, where an estimated 37,756 people were living with MS in 2024, up 77 percent from 2010.
Professor Ingrid van der Mei, a study co-author from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at UTAS, said the findings highlighted the growing global burden of MS and the importance of reliable data for healthcare planning and research.
The rise in prevalence did not necessarily mean MS was becoming more common, with earlier and more accurate diagnosis, improved data collection and longer life expectancy among people with MS likely contributing to the increase, researchers noted.
The findings also showed that women accounted for about 70 percent of cases globally, while more than 40,000 children and adolescents were reported to be living with MS. ■