Roche Ireland Marks World MS Day with its empowering “Navigating the Invisible” Campaign, Celebrating a 10-Year Commitment to Advancing Patient Care

In recognition of World MS Day, which will be marked this year on May 30th, Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd is proud to launch “Navigating the Invisible,” a disease awareness campaign dedicated to highlighting the hidden mental health and holistic impacts of an MS diagnosis while empowering people living with MS with the message that their life goals remain firmly within reach.

Aligned with the global World MS Day theme of “My MS Diagnosis: navigating MS together” and MS Ireland’s 2026 national campaign, “MS Journeys: Many Faces, One Community”, this initiative aims to shed light on the unseen realities of MS and the significant advancements in patient care over the last decade.

Despite this progress, important gaps in care remain. Ireland currently has 97 specialist neurology nurses, significantly below the estimated requirement of 1662-3. This represents a shortfall of approximately 70 nurses, limiting access to the holistic care that people with MS need. The internationally recognised standard of one specialist nurse per 315 patients highlights the importance of continued investment in healthcare capacity4.

The professional landscape is evolving to better support people with MS. While symptoms like fatigue remain a challenge, remote working has become a vital tool for enabling continued career progression, with 34% of employed people with MS in Ireland now working remotely for at least part of the week 5.

Furthermore, for many newly diagnosed individuals, an MS diagnosis brings immediate uncertainty about the future. However, the landscape for people living with MS has transformed dramatically. Historically, a diagnosis often brought significant apprehension regarding family planning, but modern clinical management, including holistic and wellbeing support, has changed this reality. 

Real-world evidence now shows that pregnancy rates among women with MS have increased by approximately 20% in recent years6. Clinical data also show that relapse rates can decrease by up to 70% during the third trimester due to natural immune changes7. Importantly, choosing to have a family does not appear to negatively impact long-term disease progression or accelerate the long-term course of the disease8.

The “Navigating the Invisible” campaign brings these encouraging realities to life through a powerful video* developed in collaboration with MS Ireland for the recent Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) #MyNeurologyNurseAndMe campaign.

In the campaign, Jen speaks candidly about the invisible toll of the disease, noting that "people can assume because you look well you are well, but a lot of things come with MS: uncertainty, unpredictability, fatigue, anxiety, and they're all things that people don't see". However, supported by dedicated MS nurses who provide holistic care that goes beyond medication to include essential emotional and practical support, Jen highlights that her future remains as bright as ever. Major life events like marriage, getting a mortgage, and travelling are all still firmly "on the cards" for her future.

MS nurses play a critical role not only in clinical care but also in supporting patients’ daily lives and long-term decisions. "Patient education is a big piece of an MS nurse's job," explains Bindu, who has 10 years of experience in MS care. "We support them with all the day-to-day practical things... We always tell them you're not alone and we are here to guide you through every decision you make".

The launch of "Navigating the Invisible" coincides with a 10-year milestone for Roche in advancing MS research and holistic patient support”, said Mohamed Elghareeb, General Manager of Roche Products (Ireland) Limited. “Over the past decade, Roche has contributed to supporting communities that empower people with MS to live full, independent lives.”

As part of this ongoing commitment, Roche Products (Ireland) Limited continues to proudly collaborate with and support MS Ireland, ensuring that no one has to face an MS diagnosis alone.

Anyone affected by MS seeking support or information is encouraged to contact the MS Ireland Information Line at 0818 233 233 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm) or visit their website at www.ms-society.ie.