An update from the MS Global Data Sharing Initiative – Thank You!

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, MSIF, together with the MS Data Alliance, set up an important global COVID-19 data sharing initiative. The purpose of this initiative was to rapidly collect and share information on COVID-19 in people with MS from around the world so we could inform clinical decision making during the pandemic.

Thanks to overwhelming support from our networks, we were able to create a large global dataset that has enabled us to investigate the impact of disease modifying therapies for MS on the severity of COVID-19. The findings have directly informed the global COVID-19 advice for people with MS.

This phase of the COVID-19 and MS Global Data Sharing Initiative (GDSI) has now finished, however we leave a legacy of strong global partnerships. We have shown that when we come together and share data across the world, we can find answers, quickly, to global MS challenges.

You can watch our new animation below, it is also available in Spanish, Arabic and German.

The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing throughout the world. We will continue to identify and prioritise gaps and opportunities for future research and international collaboration in COVID-19 and MS.

If you have any questions about the Global Data Sharing Initiative or COVID-19 and MS research, please contact Dr Anne Helme, Head of Research and Access at anne@msif.org.