Session Information
Date: Thursday, June 8, 2017
Session Title: Other
Session Time: 1:15pm-2:45pm
Location: Exhibit Hall C
Objective: The movement disorders society task force for the Middle East (MDS-Task Force for the Middle East) conducted a survey with an aim of characterizing the needs, the challenges and the limitations for providing care for people with Parkinson’s disease in the region
Background: Middle East includes numerous developing countries with an estimated population of over 500 million. The prevalence of PD in the region is believed to be similar to the prevalence reported worldwide. The fields of PD and movement disorders are however underdeveloped and underserved in the region.
Methods: Asurvey was specifically developed for the purposes of this study by MDS-Task Force for the Middle East. It was distributed electronically to the MDS members from the middle east countries (n= 226). Members were from Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine Territory, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Uzbekistan. The survey wasintended to elicit information about available treatments and facilities, needs, challenges and limitation for managing PD in responders’ countries.
Results: Fifty two members from seven different countries responded to the survey. Responders were from Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Uzbekistan. Most responders indicated that a centre of excellence for PD does not exist in their countries (75%) nor a rehab centre for PD (80%). Levodopa combinations, amantadine and donepezil were indicated to be available and affordable by the vast majority of the responders. Neurosurgical options or infusion therapies for treating advanced PD were indicated to lack by the vast majority of the responders (90-94%). The scarce of the movement disorders’ specialists, educational opportunities, research, as well as the high cost of treatment, the lack of general health infrastructure, resources and health insurance coverage were described as the main barriers to provide care for people with PD in the Middle East countries.
Conclusions: This is the first survey that sheds the light into the unmet needs in providing care for people with PD in the Middle East countries. The data suggests that there is a great need to increase the awareness of PD and provide educational opportunities within this field in the Middle East countries.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
H. Khalil, Z. Aldaajani, S. Baudry, M. Abualmelh, T. Mohammad, M. Salari, M. Bhatt, S. Tabbal, N.A. Syed, B. Jeon, C. Goetz, J.A. Bajwa. The management of Parkinson’s disease in the Middle East countries: the MDS-middle east task force survey [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2017; 32 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-management-of-parkinsons-disease-in-the-middle-east-countries-the-mds-middle-east-task-force-survey/. Accessed May 9, 2025.« Back to 2017 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-management-of-parkinsons-disease-in-the-middle-east-countries-the-mds-middle-east-task-force-survey/