{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T01:08:44Z","timestamp":1793581724905,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770854400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Mult Scler"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Limited data is available about the availability of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies and services in Africa.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We aimed to investigate the availability, affordability, frequency of usage, and insurance coverage of MS therapies and services across Africa.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A comprehensive web-based survey was constructed and distributed to neurologists from different African countries. The survey addresses availability, affordability, frequency of use, and insurance coverage of different therapies and services of MS.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Respondents represented 27 African countries. Intravenous methylprednisolone was always available in most countries (88.9%), while interferons were completely or partially available in 13 countries (48.1%). The most available disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) were rituximab (22 countries, 81%), followed by interferon beta 1a intramuscular type (12, 44.4%). Availability of other DMTs was variable, while specific MS services were limited. Affordability is limited in most countries, and the use of DMTs was related to insurance coverage. Most associated therapies and investigations were more available and affordable, but less insured. Neurologists were the main healthcare providers, but traditional healers had a role in 14.8% of countries.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Significant challenges characterize MS care in Africa. MS therapies, particularly DMTs and services, are inaccessible and unaffordable in most African countries.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/13524585261417591","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T06:12:03Z","timestamp":1770963123000},"page":"315-325","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Availability and affordability of therapies and services of multiple sclerosis in Africa: A continent-wide survey"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"32","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7012-5907","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ali","family":"Shalash","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Faculty of medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1585-5063","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Gams Massi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Douala General Hospital, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1002-5979","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Samia","family":"Ben Sassi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute of Neurology Mongi-Ben Hamida, Tunis, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Houyam","family":"Tibar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Team in Neurology and Neurogenetics, Center of Genomics of Human Pathologies, Medical School and Pharmacy, University Mohammed V in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco; Regional Hospital of Guelmim, Guelmim, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maouly","family":"Fall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre Hospitalier National de Pikine, Dakar, Senegal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6442-7148","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yared Z","family":"Zewde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Alsiddig Ebraheem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of medicine, University of Gezira, Khartoum, Sudan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3113-651X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yasser","family":"Mecheri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dr Benbadis University Hospital, Constantine, Algeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julien","family":"Razafimahefa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine of Antananarivo, CHU Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samy","family":"Dadah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre Hospitalier des specialites, Nouakchott, Mauritania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gon\u00e7alves Carlos","family":"Fernando","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-3957-5441","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Olivier","family":"Kapto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Polyclinique notre Dame de la Paix, Ouagadougou, Burkina 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