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Euskadi Highlights Active Listening, Research, and Patient Participation in Multiple Sclerosis Care

The Basque Health Department emphasizes patient involvement and research in improving care for individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Generic image representing neurological research.
IA

Generic image representing neurological research.

The Department of Health of the Basque Government has highlighted the value of active listening, research, and patient participation in addressing multiple sclerosis.

Euskadi strengthens its commitment to individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), research within Osakidetza, and the crucial role of patient associations in providing support and enhancing care.
The Basque Health Pact strategically prioritizes the active participation of patients and citizens to build a more humane, accessible, and needs-responsive healthcare system.
The involvement of associations like ADEMBI reinforces this approach by integrating the lived experiences of those with the disease, thereby improving care, accessibility, and decision-making processes.
On World Multiple Sclerosis Day, the Department of Health emphasized the work of patient associations, the dedication of healthcare and research professionals, and the importance of advancing towards more personal, humane, and participatory care.
Inés Gallego Camiña, Director of Transformation, Planning, and Citizen Participation at the Department of Health, stresses that MS is not just an illness but a reality affecting life projects, families, and daily lives, necessitating a comprehensive, person-centered healthcare response. She highlights the indispensable role of ADEMBI and other associations in fostering community support.
In Euskadi, MS is a priority pathology within the Basque Health Pact's Strategy for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Last year, 4,059 individuals were diagnosed with MS, with 142 new cases. The disease predominantly affects young women aged 18-45. By territory, Bizkaia has 2,261 people with MS, Gipuzkoa has 994, and Araba has 691.
Biomedical and neurological research are key. The Department of Health notes that MS care must integrate therapeutic innovation, clinical follow-up, rehabilitation, prevention, and emotional/social support. Inés Gallego emphasizes research's importance for early diagnosis and new treatment advancements.
MS research in Osakidetza is conducted by consolidated groups in Basque health research institutes. In Biobizkaia, neurologist Alfredo Rodríguez-Antigüedad's team (Cruces University Hospital) focuses on biomarkers and clinical trials. At Gorliz Hospital, Diego Hermoso de Mendoza's rehabilitation team leads a study on MS fatigue. In Biogipuzkoa, the Neuroimmunology Group at Donostia University Hospital investigates the link between microbiota, diet, and remyelination.
The Department of Health positions citizen participation and active listening as essential pillars for a more accessible and humane healthcare system. "Patient participation is not a supplement. It is a necessity," states Inés Gallego, underscoring the vital perspective offered by those living with the disease.
The message from the Department of Health and Osakidetza is clear: the healthcare system is evolving towards a model that not only cures better but also cares better, listens more, and responds with greater sensitivity to the real needs of individuals with multiple sclerosis and their families.

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