President & CEO updates
“To the MS community, it has been a privilege to walk alongside you and I hope the partnership and stewardship I offered has got us closer to a cure and improved the quality of lives for 33 thousand Australians and even more carers.”
Associate Professor Desmond Graham
President (2019 to 2024)
Rohan Greenland
CEO
What is multiple sclerosis?
MS is the most common acquired chronic neurological disease affecting young adults, often diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 40 and, in Australia, affects three times more women than men. As yet, there is no cure. There is no known single cause of MS, but many genetic and environmental factors have been shown to contribute to its development. In MS, the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the fatty material – called myelin – around the nerves. This results in a range of symptoms, but no two people experience MS in the same way.
62% of people with MS use a disease modifying therapy (DMT), a decrease of 2% since 2017
Nearly 3m people live with MS worldwide
More than 33K Australians live with MS
$2.5bn was the estimated cost of MS to the Australian community in 2021
Average age of diagnosis is between 20-40 years
3 out of 4 Australians diagnosed with MS are women
MS affects more young adults than any other acquired chronic neurological disease
131 Australians living with MS per 100k people, up from 103 in 2017
Research at a glance
Over $4.6 million awarded to 21 new research grants across Major and Incubator Rounds
MS Australia partners on five MRFF grants totalling nearly $10 million for Australian EBV research
First-ever adaptive clinical trial for Australians living with MS announced, supported by MSWA and MS Australia
Adaptive clinical trial education modules for people living with MS launched
Lived experience experts and researchers came together in Perth for MS Australia’s biennial conference for the first time
Enlargement of a discrete brain region provides clues on nerve damage in relapsing remitting MS
Reactive balance training shows promise in reducing falls in people with MS
Australian researchers developed a highly effective new EBV vaccine, with initial support from MS Australia
Advocacy at a glance
22 members of the Lived Experience Expert Panel (LEEP) embedding the lived experience voice into everything we do
17 submissions to government and departmental inquiries and consultations
5 of 6 MS Australia advocacy asks endorsed in full or in part by the NDIS Review
Neurological Alliance Australia (NAA) increased membership to 36
Held the first-ever NAA National Summit
21 Parliamentary Friends of MS members
Joint leadership with the international MS community to fast-track cures
Partnered with Australian research teams to secure nearly $10 million in government funding for EBV research in MS
Awareness, education & engagement
15 episodes of The Raw Nerve Podcast 
Joined 124 countries in celebrating World MS Day
Over 300 MS Australia-related media mentions
96 MS Australia news items published
1,014 social media posts
Over 250 delegates attend MS Australia’s biennial Progress in MS Research Scientific Conference in Perth
Partnership on feature film Take My Hand
Launch of Trial.Smart educational series
Fundraising at a glance
MS Australia’s mission is to achieve a world free of MS, enhancing the wellbeing of those affected by the condition, and amplifying funding for MS research aimed at prevention, improved treatments, and ultimately a cure. Our fundraising efforts, including The May 50K and various events, harness the generosity and enthusiasm of the Australian community, supported by contributions from our MS Member Organisations with whom we collaborate closely.
$2.4m raised for MS research by The May 50K in 2024
13,012 participants in The May 50K 2024
$267 raised for MS research by the average May 50K participant
$23.4m raised for MS research in Australia since The May 50K launched in 2019
$823K received from Gifts in Wills
$1.2m received from general donations and other fundraising
