Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Australia will promote MS awareness as part of the 2021 Women’s Health Week (WHW), running multiple events from 6 September.
Partnering with WHW organiser Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, MS Australia will deliver online seminars addressing the factors connecting women’s health and the experience, including topics such as relationships, sleep, diet, exercise as well fertility and pregnancy.
The events will be co-ordinated by MS Australia in conjunction with its four state/territory based organisations, with nearly all events available to live streamed.
MS Australia’s CEO, Rohan Greenland, said the organisation’s information sessions are designed for people both “living with or with an interest in MS.”
“It is important to convey health and education messages to the community, taking into consideration the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, as well as good health management, which will help to promote wellbeing living with MS,” Mr Greenland said.
Meanwhile, Campaign Manager for Women’s Health Week, Brenda Jones, noted the concurrent aims of WHW and MS Australia.
“We are encouraging all women and girls to join the week to find the support, connection and information they need to be healthy in mind and body,” Ms Jones said.
Multiple Sclerosis, a “neurological condition” linked to the central nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord, is estimated to affect three times as many women as it does men, with most people receiving a diagnosis of the condition between the age of 20 and 40 years.
More than 25,000 live with the condition in Australia, with more than 7.6 million people in the country aware of someone experiencing MS. Symptoms can vary in significance, severity and regularity from person to person, with common trends including pain, fatigue, difficulties in walking and issues with memory.
This year’s Women’s Health Week is taking place from 6 to 10 September, with more information available here.
More information about MS Australia, the country’s peak body for people living with MS, can be found here, while more information about Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, a women’s health centre focused on research, clinical treatment, policy and public health outcomes, can be found here.
