Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Qatar: A population-based study from 2016 to 2024

Epidemiological data on multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Arabian Gulf remain limited. This study determined the incidence and minimum prevalence of MS in Qatar over a nine-year period.

This retrospective, population-based study identified incident MS cases from January 2016 through December 2024 using the Hamad Medical Corporation registry, the principal MS care provider and sole dispenser of disease-modifying therapy in Qatar. Diagnoses fulfilled the McDonald criteria. Rates were estimated for the total population and Qatari nationals. Because 2016 was the inaugural year of centralized MS care, incidence estimation was restricted to 2017 through 2024; 2016 cases were retained only for prevalence estimation.

A total of 1017 incident cases were identified, 414 (40.7%) among Qatari nationals. The cohort was predominantly female (62.1%), with 92.3% of cases aged 25 to 64 years. From 2017 to 2024, average annual incidence was 3.26 (95% CI 3.03-3.50) per 100,000 in the total population, 10.89 (95% CI 9.68-12.22) in Qatari nationals, and 2.24 (95% CI 2.04-2.46) in non-Qatari residents. The female-to-male incidence rate ratio was 3.79. Minimum prevalence among Qatari nationals in 2024 was 118.29 per 100,000 (95% CI 107.16-130.25). Interrupted time series analysis showed a significant reduction in case ascertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incidence among Qatari nationals is comparable to rates reported from Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran, and approaches those of high-incidence regions. The minimum prevalence represents a substantial increase over the previous national estimate, challenging historical assumptions that MS is uncommon in Middle Eastern populations.