Beijing gala spotlights lives of myasthenia gravis patients

A charity gala held as part of the 7th Myasthenia Gravis Conference took place in Beijing on Saturday night to share inspiring narratives of individuals living with myasthenia gravis, leading up to Myasthenia Gravis Day on Monday.

The gala was hosted by the Aili Myasthenia Gravis Care Center. Patients who have myasthenia gravis and their family members from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, along with medical experts and charity partners, gathered together.

Through artistic performances and interactive activities, the event strengthened the ties between charitable organizations and patients across the country, showcased the resilience of the myasthenia gravis community, and expressed gratitude to all sectors of society for their care and support.

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune condition that can affect anyone. Patients often find it difficult to see things clearly, make expressions, move their hands and feet, and execute many other simple tasks.

During the carnival, myasthenia gravis patients and volunteers staged a series of captivating performances, including singing, dancing, recitation, opera, and a fashion show.

The 7th Myasthenia Gravis Conference, held from Saturday to Sunday, brought together over 300 medical experts, policymakers, and public welfare practitioners, as well as patients and their family members from across the country, to engage in in-depth discussions on core topics such as myasthenia gravis academic research, clinical diagnosis and treatment, policy support, and social assistance.

A health report on Chinese myasthenia gravis patients in 2026 was also released.

Since 2014, the care center has issued multiple reports about the situations of MG patients in China, detailing their experiences, medical burdens and the social support they received, with the aim of promoting an understanding of the illness among the public and helping improve the quality of patients' lives.

The latest report shows that male patients account for approximately 33.3 percent and female patients for 66.7 percent of domestic myasthenia gravis patients. The average age at diagnosis is 33.1. Additionally, 61 percent of patients have experienced misdiagnosis, and 67.6 percent have suffered from varying degrees of anxiety and depression.

The report also points out that patients currently remain primarily on traditional drug therapies. Although the utilization rate of novel targeted drugs has increased, their overall proportion remains low. Encouragingly, the survey said that indicators related to patients' quality of life and daily functional ability reached the best results among all previous surveys since 2014.