White Stork Symbol for MS

A poster of a white stork was unveiled on Thursday at a conference to mark the World MS Day (observed on the last Wednesday of May) by head of the Department of Environment, Masoumeh Ebtekar, as a new national symbol for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) disease. “The hectic pace of modern-day lifestyles and industrialization are major contributing factors to diseases such as MS; therefore preserving the environment  and its natural habitats is of essence for human health,” she said in her speech at the event, ILNA reported. The DOE is collaborating with the Iran Multiple Sclerosis Society to help preserve natural environments and expand green spaces to conserve biological components and fight pollution. The incidence of MS is rising in the Middle East with Iran experiencing a faster growth rate than regional countries. The rate of MS incidence has risen from 27 per 100,000 people a few years ago to 115 to 120 per 100,000 people at present.