Italy marks World MS Day with more than 40 conferences on research across the country

Rome plays host to a conference on contemporary research to mark World MS Day 2010.

“Our objectives (as researchers) are to give people with MS all necessary answers to live their lives completely.” Mario Alberto Battaglia, FISM Chairman.

The Italian MS Society chose to celebrate World of MS Day as part of their National MS Week which has been the main focus for awareness raising in the country for the past 11 years. The main activity on the day was a scientific meeting on contemporary research in the field of MS at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome.

Top researchers in MS were there to focus on the results to date and share objectives for the future.

The Italian Health Minister Ferruccio Fazio attended the conference on World MS Day, reaffirming his personal dedication to the MS cause and emphasizing the importance of research. The Minister also awarded Diego Centonze, a researcher based at the Rome Policlinico Universitario Tor Vergata, with the prestigious Rita Levi Montalcini Prize. The prize was established by FISM in 1999 in order to encourage MS research in the top Italian institutions.

The activities in Rome were mirrored across Italy with more than 40 scientific meetings taking place throughout the country. The aim: to promote knowledge and understanding of MS amongst the scientific and medical communities as well as amongst the general public.

On the 29th May, all Italian MS activists were out in force to promote the work of the charity with the aim of recruiting new volunteers and building on campaigns work in the future.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please contact AISM at [email protected]