MSIF welcomes new members from Honduras and Argentina

At our October 2025 meeting, the MSIF Board awarded Associate membership to the Honduran Fundacion de Esclerosis Múltiple Amor (MS Love Foundation – FEMA) and the Asociación de Lucha Contra la Esclerosis Múltiple (Association for the Fight Against MS – ALCEM) in Argentina, bringing the total number of MSIF members to 49! Read on to learn more about the new members joining the global network. 

FEMA, Honduras

FEMA has been providing information and support to the MS community in Honduras1 since it was established in 2019. Its online and in-person activities cover the whole country with a focus on the two main cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, where people with MS receive medications and see their MS specialists. 

FEMA plays a pivotal role in coordinating efforts between public hospitals that provide services for people with MS across the country, ensuring that its volunteers are on hand to support those attending appointments and accompanying those newly diagnosed through their MS journey. 

FEMA uses printed materials, their social media platforms including Facebook and  Instagram and their website to share information on MS symptoms and treatment and to raise MS awareness. The organisation aims to increase health literacy amongst its members by running MS Expert Patient Academies and enables access to free medical equipment and psychological support. FEMA builds a programme of activities both for the MS community and the general public on the back of World MS Day. 

For young health professionals in Honduras, the organisation is running a training programme – Debut de la EM (MS’s Debut) to increase knowledge for postgraduate students studying paediatrics, gynaecology, neurology and internal medicine. It is anticipated that 500 students will benefit from the training in 2025-26. 

FEMA is active in national advocacy and, together with other rare disease organisations in Honduras, they are working with the Health Regulation Agency to ensure that any DMTs procured by the Ministry of Health are of high quality and effectiveness. 

MSIF is proud to welcome FEMA as an Associate member of our global network. Suyapa Mejia De Lupi, FEMA President, shared a few words with us on what membership means to them. 

‘Being part of MSIF represents an invaluable achievement for FEMA and a new chapter in our commitment to people living with MS in Honduras. The MSIF is a global leader in promoting research, advocating for patients’ rights, and strengthening organisations working for this cause. For us, being part of this great global network means being able to learn, share experiences, and join forces with leaders who inspire real change. It is an opportunity to grow, raise awareness of our work, and actively contribute to the international MS movement.’

ALCEM Argentina 

ALCEM, founded by the late Miguel Pablo Gallardo, has supported the MS community in Argentina for some 27 years. ALCEM has been affiliated with and active within MSIF since 2015. 

The association is in contact with around 4,200 people with MS in Argentina2 and has a much wider reach through its website and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.  For those living in rural or geographically isolated communities the website links them to a network of Reference Centres, regional MS organisations and MSIF’s Full member organisation in Argentina, Esclerosis Múltiple Argentina (EMA). 

ALCEM supports the MS community to learn more about MS but also issues related to their right to health, access to medication and rehabilitation. This is delivered through online and in-person workshops and seminars and training activities. ALCEM’s ‘area social personalizada’ (personalised legal and social advice) is one of their key services. 

The association carries out awareness-raising activities, particularly in May, when they participate in the regional World MS Day #IluminEMos campaign led by the Latin American Network of MS Organisations (Red LATEM)). ALCEM has been a key player in the formation and development of the Red LATEM which brings together organisations across the region to work together to strengthen access to treatment and promote the social inclusion of people with MS. Susana Giacello, ALCEM President, is currently part of the Leadership Committee.  

For ALCEM the voices of people with and affected by MS are central to their work. 3 of its 7 Board members have or are affected by MS and their Patient Advisory Council, which works to support the rights of people with MS and input into ALCEM’s strategic and governance decisions, is made up of MS activists and group leaders from 7 provinces across the country.  

MSIF is delighted to continue working with ALCEM as an Associate member. President of the Association Susana Giacello shared her thoughts with us.

‘ALCEM’s MSIF membership expands its capacity for local action and strengthens its participation in a global network that fights for the rights, health and quality of life of people with MS. It also allows us to share best practices and participate in international initiatives that promote visibility, research, and the rights of people with MS.’

MSIF looks forward to working closely with both organisations. If you would like to learn more about the process for becoming an MSIF member, click here to learn more about membership. 

1 The number of people with MS in Honduras is estimated to be 473, Atlas of MS  

2 The number of people with MS in Argentina is estimated to be 17,000, Atlas of MS