2024 WORLD MS DAY IMPACT REPORT
His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan
“We commend the progress made so far to improve the lives of people living with MS. Today, we affirm our solidarity with the medical and care providers within the MS community, and pledge full support to them, especially through advancing research to find a cure for MS. The UAE will continue to support and drive global efforts to combat MS, in order to create a future free of the disease.”
Her Excellency
Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi,
Vice Chair
His Excellency
Ahmed Taleb Ali Al Shamsi,
Vice Chair
This year, we leveraged World MS Day as a springboard for us to take action, and we commend the joint efforts of the public and private sector institutions to address the challenges of MS. By bringing together key stakeholders in the country to drive forward a national MS agenda, we were able to witness the transformative power of collaboration.
The National MS Society is committed to raising awareness a bout multiple sclerosis (MS) and its symptoms, emphasising early and accurate diagnosis, and encouraging research that can lead to a breakthrough cure in the future. Together, we are united in our mission to mitigate its impact and improve the lives of people living with MS.
This year marked the UAE’s second World MS Day celebrations. Throughout the month of May NMSS engaged various stakeholders in high-level initiatives and community activations, aiming to raise awareness of MS and galvanize support from the society’s stakeholders to progress a National MS Support Agenda.
This Impact Report encapsulates the results made possible through our collective efforts and the unwavering commitment of our partners who share our vision.
Together, we didn’t just raise awareness; we ignited a movement across the nation. We empowered people living with MS by showcasing their strength and resilience.
The results speak volumes:
500K
People reached through the café activations.
700x
Cinema ads played across the UAE featuring stories of MS Heroes.
50+
Media coverage pieces.
THIS WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR DEDICATION. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER, AND ADVOCATING FOR A FUTURE FREE FROM MS.
423
People visited NMSS awareness booths at major airports and malls across the UAE.
11
Buildings illuminated in the color of MS across the country.
MS MAJLIS: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF MS SUPPORT IN THE UAE.
For the first time, NMSS convened a meeting with key stakeholders in the MS ecosystem to co-create a comprehensive roadmap aimed at advancing the UAE’s MS Support Agenda.
Endorsed by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH), the MS Majlis brought together key stakeholders and representatives from the government, the healthcare sector, and regulators to cover:
Critical Topics
Key Objectives
Key Outcomes The formation of the National Coalition for MS with 3 key objectives:
â– Access to Care.
â– Enhancing Healthcare Capabilities.
Identifying the gaps in MS care and presenting solutions to fill these gaps, including:
â– Developing the UAE MS Support Agenda.
â– Raising awareness on criticality of MS and its impact on individuals and society.
â– Discussing priorities relevant to MS for 2024.
â– Introducing NMSS, its programs, and achievements to date.
1. Ensuring an action-oriented approach to deliver on the UAE MS support agenda.
2. Providing a forum for nation-wide collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy for MS in the UAE.
3. Creating a formalized mechanism to launch priorities that clearly define roles and responsibilities of different entities.
1. Cost-effective treatment models.
2. PSP scope expansion.
3. Healthcare Provider MS education campaigns.
4. Comprehensive MS Care Center Support.
5. MS Scholarships and Incentives Program.
PARTICIPATING CAFES 50 K
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC REACHED
USERS POSTS
MENTIONING NMSS ON INSTAGRAM
CAFÉ & LOCAL EATERY ACTIVATION
NMSS collaborated with popular cafes across the UAE who pledged to raise awareness on MS among their customers through:
Serving Drinks in Specially Branded Cups which displayed QR codes linking to educational resources on MS along with special stickers which customers captured photos of and shared on their social media pages.
Loyalty Cards which customers could stamp and sign at different locations for a chance to win a prize at the end of the campaign.
Engaging Activity Maps with games like sudoku, crossword puzzles, and word searches, which can be especially beneficial for people with MS. The games were designed to be engaging and educational, including facts about MS.
Branded Pins for staff to wear to spark interest and questions from customers.
NMSS launched the second installment of its MS Heroes video campaign which spotlights people with MS, showcasing their journey through diagnosis and highlighting their resilience. These videos aim to counter misconceptions and negative stereotypes about MS.
The MS Heroes videos were broadcasted across Vox Cinemas theatres
7 Emirates
13,000 People reached 735 Replays
Abu Dhabi Media Office shared our MS Hero stories on their platforms of over on World MS Day and further shared each story on their social media in the following weeks.
e& UAE leveraged their social media platforms to amplify our MS Heroes videos.
Ma’an Authority shared the MS Heroes videos on social media to along with links to the NMSS page on the Ma’an Social Contribution Platform to drive contributions to the cause.
1 million SMS were sent to e& users across the UAE to raise awareness about MS, driving recipients to visit the NMSS website to learn more and potentially contribute to the cause.
Ma’an launched an SMS Campaign on World MS Day to its entire donor database to drive contributions to the NMSS page on its Social Contribution Platform.
SMS CAMPAIGN
ABDULLA AL KHAMIRI
DEBORAH DUNNE
RANA KAMAREDDINE
Galleria Mall Booth
300+
Visitors engaged with NMSS spokespeople and took part in a virtual reality simulation to gain a better understanding of what it’s like to live with MS.
Sponsored by Focus Gulf
Dr. Ahmed Shatila engaged with people visiting the booth in person as well as users who joined a live Q&A session online, enhancing public awareness, and increasing NMSS exposure with potential volunteers’ interest and donations.
Yas Mall MS Awareness Walk
380+
Community members came together to walk in solidarity, demonstrating growing support for people with MS in the UAE.
Organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and sponsored by Emirates Steel Arkan
Awareness Booths
100+
Visitors visited the booths to learn about MS and its symptoms.
At Zayed International Airport and Dubai International Airport.
PIECES OF COVERAGE IN TOP OUTLETS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
10
INTERVIEWS WITH MS AMBASSADORS AND NMSS SPOKESPEOPLE
54 K+
NEW ACCOUNTS REACHED
44 K+
VIEWS ON WORLD MS DAY VIDEOS
