Story by STV news
The Scottish Govenrment has made a series of key pledges relating to MS and vitamin D, following a petition by Ryan McLaughlin.
A schoolboy who set out to raise awareness of the medical condition suffered by his mother has spoken of his pride in securing a number of key pledges from the Scottish Government.
Ryan McLaughlin went to Holyrood’s Public Petition Committee last year to raise the issue of links between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis.
The 14-year-old’s petition called on ministers to produce new guidelines on vitamin D supplements for children and pregnant women, along with an awareness campaign about the issue.
The Scottish Government has now agreed to support and host a summit in April on the role of vitamin D. New guidance on supplements will also now be published. and to produce the guidance on supplements.
Ryan took up the cause a year ago after watching his mother Kirsten suffering the incurable disease. On Tuesday, the committee agreed to close his petition.
Ryan said: “After an amazing year in raising both vitamin D and MS awareness, I now have the commitments that I wanted from the Scottish Government.
“I applaud the positive action taken by the Scottish Government and the support from Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Shona Robison, Health and Sports Minister.”
Ryan’s local MSP Bill Butler hailed the campaigning schoolboy’s achievement, saying “a very great deal of progress” has been made.
The Glasgow Anniesland politician hailed the way “Ryan and the McLaughlin family have persuaded the Government and the Government has listened to the very sensible suggestions contained in the petition”.
He said: “The Government has agreed to a co-ordinated programme of action with NHS Scotland to produce guidance on vitamin D, to educate women on its importance, to consider different messages for different groups of people and to ensure that health professionals are giving correct and consistent advice to pregnant women and new mothers in relation to vitamin D.”
He described that as a “significant success”, adding: “It’s people listening to what is a very sensible set of suggestions from someone whose personal circumstances have convinced him that there is need for reform here.
“It’s a success story.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “We’re keen to learn all we can about any possible links between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis and are keeping a very close eye on all the emerging evidence.”
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/156458-success-at-parliament-for-schoolboy-campaigner/
Tags: glasgow, MS Society Scotland, Multiple Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis Campaign, Nicola Sturgeon, petitions committee, Ryan McLaughlin, schoolboy, scientific summit, scotland, Scottish government, Scottish Parliment, Shine on Scotland, STV News, Vitamin D, vitamin d campaign
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 9:58 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
