This cost of illness study aims to assess the economic burden of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) from patient perspective.  

Egypt got the highest number of MS patients in the Middle East region with estimated number of 59,671 subjects, with high burden due to delay in diagnosis and treatment initiation as well as financial burden.

Bottom-up cost of illness model was built based on a face to face patient reported outcome study conducted with 142 patients nationwide, 80% were relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and 20% Progressive phase (primary progressive and secondary progressive) stating both direct, and indirect costs, indirect cost was calculated based on Human Capital Method.

The total cost of MS including RRMS and Progressive phase was 146.6 million US Dollars in 2017 from patients perspective and excluding governmental expenditure on MS. direct medical costs were almost 50% , 30% direct non medical and 20% indirect cost.

Results showed that progressive phase patients spend average of 3 years till confirming diagnosis versus 1 year for RRMS patients. Average age is 33 years yet 56% are unemployed, patients with progressive phase of MS showed higher level of unemployment with 22% versus 16% for the RRMS patients. Patients pay average of 50 USD monthly as direct medical cost which is relatively high given the average wage in Egypt which is 300 USD per month, and 46% of MS patients lost their jobs after diagnosis.

Although the financial burden on RRMS patients compared to an earlier cost of RRMS study conducted in 2015 decreased by almost 40% in terms of direct spending however the burden is still relatively high given the low income level of MS patients and unemployment status, for progressive phase (PPMS and SPMS patients) burden is much higher due to incomplete coverage for the treatment at public sectors.