MS is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults. Around 85,000 people of all ages in the UK have it.

Around 4,000 of them are thought to be in Northern Ireland. And, for an unknown reason, the province has the second highest rates of the disease in the world, just slightly behind Scotland.

Although the cause of MS is still unknown, research has shown that it could be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

The condition is more common in areas further away from the equator, such as the UK, Scandinavia and North America.

But it is virtually unheard of in parts of Asia and countries such as Ecuador or Malaysia.

Given Northern Ireland's baffling prevelance for the condition, the MS Society in Belfast is well placed at the heart of the charity's national battle to discover what causes the disease and support those living with it.

Patricia Gordon recently took over as director of the charity in Northern Ireland. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph at its Belfast headquarters off Annadale Avenue, she spoke of her determination to push MS issues further up the political agenda.

Her previous job was chief executive of the former South and East Belfast Trust.

She was also chief executive of the Mater Hospital Trust from 1995 to 2003, giving her valuable experience of the workings of the health and social care sector and its treatment of MS issues.

"I welcome the opportunity to focus on a single issue that in my view simply hasn't had enough attention.

"I want to listen to people with MS and focus on their aspirations. Other illnesses have had a lot of attention over the years so I would especially like to bring issues relating to MS to a wider audience," she said.

Summing up her aims in a nutshell, she added: "I want to increase awareness that children and young people have MS, to really get to grips with ground breaking research, to get out of Belfast and talk to as many people with MS as I possibly can over the next few months and I'd like to respond to what I hear from them.

"At the end of the day I want more than anything to deliver tangible and real changes to the services which people with MS can reasonably expect to receive."

Mrs Gordon intends to visit all 18 of the charity's branches across the province, made up of MS patients or their carers, in the near future.

She has already visited three and said one issue raised was access to physiotherapy services.

"In 12 months' time, I hope we'll be able to see better physio services.

"It's been made very clear to me by members that they want greater access to physiotherapy services and indeed complementary therapy services," she said.

"What I want to be doing, given my previous background, is work with the Department of Health, the Boards and the Trusts to first of all establish what access to physiotherapy services there is and then plan how to get greater access to them."

The new director stresses two things that are important to remember about MS - the cause is still unknown and it effects every single sufferer in many very different ways.

"In the MS Society nationally, their mission is to beat MS.

"I think one of the ways we can do that is active research. We don't know why people get MS yet and we have to work towards getting a cure for that. That must be our ultimate goal.

"Why is Northern Ireland so high? We just don't know.

"There is a one in 130 chance of a woman having MS in Northern Ireland.

"Woman are twice as likely to develop it as men. I don't think people know those facts.

"We will be working with our medical adviser, Queen's University clinical neurologist Dr Stanley Hawkins, on that.

"Having said that, my job is very much get the whole issue of MS as a disease further up the agenda so we can tackle areas such as getting better physio services, equitable access to drug regimes and so on.

"It's a very unique disease. Every single person who has MS is unique.

"Their symptoms are unique and that makes it quite complicated to deal with. I believe passionately that we have to treat everybody as an individual and respect them because their symptoms and support them."

Mrs Gordon's appointment, which she took up at the beginning of January, brings to a close a period of turmoil for the charity.

The MS Society hit the headlines last February when a decision was taken by the trustees of the MS Society in London to suspend the Northern Ireland council.

Its then director also left his role.

Mrs Gordon said the charity is determined now to look to the future.

"Everyone has been very helpful, very friendly and very supportive. From my perspective, I don't know exactly what went on but I want to take things forward for both the organisation and for people with MS.

"I want to be a forward-looking, forward-thinking organisation."

And she says there is no better time now than in the new era of devolved power at Stormont.

The MS Society hosted an event in Parliament Building's Long Gallery this week, attended by MLAs such as health committee members Iris Robinson, Michelle O'Neill and Carmel Hanna.

"I am looking forward to working with the local Assembly and with MLAs representing their constituents who have MS.

"It is a good chance for a new start and is happening at the right time for both us and Northern Ireland society.

"I'm very full hope and optimism," she said.