Another news article worth reading:
Collins et al. Grand challenges in global mental health. Nature. 2011 Jul 6;475(7354):27-30.
Despite it rarity in developing countries MS punches above its weight and makes it onto the list in 14th position globally with a disability-adjusted life year (DALY) score of 1.5 million units per year.
A disability-adjusted life year (DALY) is a unit health economists use for measuring the amount of health lost because of a disease or injury. It is calculated as the present value of the future years of disability-free life that are lost as a result of the premature deaths or disability occurring in a particular year.
“1.5 million lost DALYs seems like a lot when you compare MS to the more common diseases above it on the table.”
“I suppose we don’t need any more reminders of how disabling MS can be, but this article puts MS into perspective at a global level.”
“Apologies, about springing difficult concepts like DALYs on you; but I believe it is information that is important to MS’ers and their families.”
Extra reading: DALY
I seriously don't get the mindset of MS'ers. One minute they want to campaign for the right to die and the next they're insisting they want to have children and give life. Where is the logic?
The people who want the right to die are probably not the ones who want children. Everybody is commenting as anonymous. Perhaps we should choose pseudonyms
Re "The people who want the right to die are probably not the ones who want children."Do you really think so Anonymous (ironic you didn't select a pseudonym)?Te reason why I disagree with you is because this blog ran a survey a few weeks ago concerning the right to die and overwhelmingly the vast majority were in favour of legalising assisted suicide in Britain.Surely it's not unfeasible to think that the vast majority of those same voters who want the right to die are now in favour of people with MS not being discouraged from having children. There’s a great duplicity and inconsistency in their thought processes.I think that life is precious, even the lives of those with MS. Therefore, I don’t like it when MS’ers hark on about the right to die when time would be better spent campaigning for better drugs to cure progression (one can dream) and health services.Either you chose life or you don’t. Having children is a serious commitment and must not be clouded by morbid thoughts concerning premature suicide. If one chooses to have children after MS diagnosis then it’s incredibly selfish of them to advocate for the right to die.