Investment in research urgently needed to give hope to sufferers of ME/CFS

Greens spokesperson for Health Hon Alison Xamon MLC has renewed her call to the Government to invest urgently in research into causes and possible treatments for ME/CFS.

Ms Xamon said myalgic enecpohalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) was a complex illness that affects most body systems, but particularly the nervous, immune, cardiac, gastrointestinal and endocrine systems.

She said it affected between 0.4 and one per cent of the Australian population.

“In Western Australia, that works out to be between 10,000 and 26,000 people,” Ms Xamon said.

“This condition is made even harder because sufferers face challenges including getting a diagnosis in the first place or worse, being believed when they are making it clear they are incredibly unwell.”

Ms Xamon said many sufferers of ME/CFS, which has similarities to tick-borne illnesses, were not visible in the community because of the debilitating nature of their illness and symptoms.

She said investment in research was needed to better understand the causes of the illness and improve treatment options. 

“I am confident, thanks to important campaigns like #millionsmissing, that we are beginning to raise awareness about ME/CFS,” Ms Xamon said

“I call on the Government to prioritise investment in this space to ensure we are giving people some hope and opportunity to get well.”