The Disease of 1001 Faces: Over 3,500 people with multiple sclerosis in BiH

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Association of Multiple Sclerosis Patients of Sarajevo Canton, a formal academy was held, and attendees were shown a video for the song Bolu se ne dam (I won't give in to pain), which was created three years ago to raise awareness about this incurable disease, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

More than 3,500 people in BiH suffer from this disease, and according to estimates from the Clinic for Neurology at UKCS, the number in KS is around 1,100 people.

Gordan Muzurović, president of the Association of Multiple Sclerosis Patients of KS, has been battling this disease for 18 years and is the author of the lyrics for the song Bolu se ne dam.

- 40 years is not a small anniversary. All these years we have been working to raise public and societal awareness so that people know about us. We try to work on our own, to contribute ourselves, and not to be a burden to anyone, and to be full members of this society - said Muzurović.

Modern medicine has not found a cure for multiple sclerosis, nor for a number of other autoimmune diseases. Since this disease does not manifest in all patients in the same way, Muzurović explains this vividly:

- It is not called the disease of 1001 faces for nothing. Each of us experiences and survives it differently - says Muzurović.

Fata Bahtijarević, the general secretary of the Association, has been living with this disease for 28 years, and despite the illness, she has also become a mother.

- There is no official database of patients in KS, and we have 330 members in our association. The exact number in KS does not exist as an official database. The association also functions as a counseling center, which is especially important for a young person diagnosed with the disease. The whole world collapses for such a person, they get lost, they don't know where they stand. We are here to provide support, through conversation, to direct them where they can turn, to institutions, to show them that they are not alone, that we exist, and we provide support in every sense - says Bahtijerević.

Daniela Mandić, product manager, addressed the attendees from the company Bosnalijek, which was also a sponsor of the academy, stating that this company will always provide support to those in need.

- Bosnalijek, as a socially responsible company, in line with its mission, supports the work of various associations that are in great need of assistance. We are pleased to be present at this celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Association, given that it concerns a specific population that needs help - says Mandić.

Video for the song Bolu se ne dam