“Walk In My Shoes” spotlights the invisible struggles of people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

 

Kolkata : Millions globally and ~2 lakh people in India live with a life-limiting neurological condition called Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The disease affects their central nervous system, depriving them of their ability to perform simple everyday tasks like walking, cooking, bathing or the strength to hold a child. Their day-to-day struggle remains hidden and performing everyday tasks can feel like scaling an invisible mountain.

 

One can’t see and feel the burden MS patients carry. To bring a spotlight on MS, Roche Pharma India, in collaboration with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India (MSSI) presents Walk In My Shoes - a public health awareness initiative to highlight the often invisible struggles of individuals living with this life-limiting neurological condition.

 

Visit the #WalkInMyShoes simulation zone installed at Select City Walk Mall (H&M Wing, Ground floor), Saket, New Delhi, from 22 to 24 August to experience what it means to live with MS. One can also visit the simulation zone in Bangalore at Brookfield Ecospace Park, Bellandur (Near 1C), from 20 to 22 August and at Mumbai Phoenix MarketCity, Kurla (Atrium 5, LG Floor), from 22 to 24 August. These simulation zones offer visitors ‘education through experience’ by re-creating a sensory experience of four of the most commonly occurring MS symptoms - loss of balance, motor impairment, blurry vision and loss of sensitivity, while bringing to the forefront the everyday hardships faced by MS patients.

 

You can also lend your voice by sharing your support to their invisible struggles using #WalkInMyShoes Each post, tweet or reel helps shatter the silence around MS and ensure no one living with MS ever feels unseen. In addition to the sensory simulation kiosks, www.walkinmyshoes.in - a knowledge hub for authentic, credible and medically verified information on MS is also launched. www.walkinmyshoes.in aims to become a trusted digital platform, playing a crucial role in elevating public literacy about MS, while empowering individuals to understand and act upon evidence based health information.

 

“At Roche, our mission goes far beyond medicines. We are deeply committed to reimagining how chronic and life-altering conditions like Multiple Sclerosis are perceived, diagnosed, and managed,” said Rajji Mehdwan, Managing Director & CEO - India & Neighbouring Markets, Roche Pharma. “With #WalkInMyShoes, we are not just raising awareness, we are igniting empathy, amplifying patient voices, and driving meaningful change across the healthcare ecosystem. By partnering with MSSI, we are uniting science with compassion to break the silence around MS, champion timely intervention, and push for an inclusive, patient-centric approach where no individual living with MS is left behind. This is not just a campaign—it’s a clarion call to action.”

 

MS often strikes between the ages of 20 and 40, a time when individuals are building careers, pursuing passions, and starting families. It is the leading cause of non-traumatic disability among young adults and, if untreated, can progress to severe and life-limiting disability. Women, who are two to three times more likely than men to develop MS, face additional worries: how the disease will impact their ability to conceive, carry a pregnancy, and care for a child.

 

Bipasha Gupta, Chairperson MSSI - Delhi, stated, “Multiple Sclerosis is a complex neurological condition of young individuals and is considered a progressive disease, as symptoms tend to worsen over time causing disability. Early treatment is a must which  can slow down disease progression and reduce the risk of irreversible disability. People living with MS in India face a multitude of challenges. From public awareness, absence of fair and comprehensive insurance coverage, to hurdles in accessing disability benefits due to lack of clear guidelines. Only a fraction of insurance plans cover chronic conditions like MS, leaving patients to bear overwhelming out-of-pocket expenses and navigate a system that fails to meet their needs. Public awareness initiatives like #WalkInMyShoes are imperative in raising voices, creating awareness, elevating societal understanding and advocating for change to deliver equitable care.”

 

"The MS care landscape in India is fragmented," stated Dr. Anshu Rohatgi, Vice Chairperson - Neurology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. “Multiple Sclerosis remains a misunderstood condition. Symptom variability and non-specific presentation often lead to delayed or incorrect diagnosis. Timely and accurate diagnosis is critical, as initiating the right treatment early can significantly delay or prevent long-term disability. Campaigns like #WalkInMyShoes help drive meaningful conversations and bring spotlight on these issues. The primary goal in MS treatment is to reduce disease activity, thereby slowing the pace of disability progression. As clinicians, we have a pressing responsibility of early and accurate diagnosis and achieving the best treatment outcomes for our MS patients. High-Efficacy Therapies (HETs) are crucial, particularly for active or rapidly progressing cases, as they can significantly slow disease progression and prevent irreversible neurological damage; helping patients live independent, dignified lives,” he added.