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The Australian bushfires of 2019/2020, closely followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought crisis care capabilities for people living with MS to the forefront. Currently there is scarce research exploring the impact of natural disasters and pandemics in the MS population. More generally, research has shown that individuals living with disability may be up to four times more likely to sustain injuries or death in disaster circumstances compared to the general population. This is mainly due to impairments in areas such as mobility, cognition and communication. At present there are no formal recommendations in place to guide management of people living with MS in times of crisis.
Dr Learmonth and her team will explore both the prevalence and the impact of the 2019/2020 bushfires and pandemic on the healthcare of people living with MS in Australia, by performing interviews and surveys to more deeply understand the experiences and responses of people affected. Analysis of this information will provide the foundations for developing a toolkit to be used for healthcare-based disaster management for people with MS in the future. As well as assisting people with MS, it is anticipated that this toolkit will also be useful for people living with disability from other conditions, and can be refined to their specific needs, thus broadening the impact of this research across the wider community.
Dr Learmonth and her team have made significant progress to date. They have completed a comprehensive literature review identifying gaps in available resources for disaster management specifically tailored to people living with disabilities. A total of 37 interviews have taken place with people with MS and care givers, along with 60 surveys to develop a deep understanding of the health impact of the bushfires, and the COVID-19 pandemic on people with MS.
The findings from these components of the study will be used in the next stage of the work, which involves developing  a toolkit for healthcare-based disaster management specifically designed for people with MS. The toolkit will be developed in collaboration with people with MS, their carers, and relevant healthcare professionals.
Dr Learmonth and her team plan to publish a new article early in 2023 that will outline the health experiences of the Australian MS community during the second year of the pandemic. This holds great promise for enhancing disaster management strategies and healthcare support for people with MS.
Updated 31 March 2023
Dr Claudia Marck
Dr Brody Heritage
Dr Lisa Gibbs
Dr Ingrid van der Mei
Dr Petra Skeffington
Dr Allan Kermode
Professor Diana Walker
$230,000
2021
3 years
Current project
