More NIH Funding Needed for ME/CFS Research!
- by: Marilyn Lemmon
- recipient: National Institutes of Health and Conress
According to the recent Institute of Medicine report, up to 2.5 million Americans have chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
Patients with ME/CFS are more functionally impaired than those with other disabling illnesses, including congestive heart failure, multiple sclerosis, and end-stage renal disease.
The NIH funds ME/CFS at $5 million per year, and that amount is estimated by the NIH to stay about the same through 2016. The NIH spends almost 10 times more on attention deficit disorder, 15 times more on infertility, and 80 times more on depression.
The IOM report confirms this dismal state of affairs, stating that remarkably little research funding has been made available, especially given the number of people afflicted.
Please help get more funding for this devastating and badly neglected illness. Please sign only if you are a resident of the United States. Thanks!
Dear Francis Collins and Members of Congress:
National Institues of Health fudning of ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome; SEID) has remained essentailly flat at $5 million a year since 1993. The recent Institue of Medicine ME/CFS report states that "remarkably little research funding has been made available, especially given the number of people afflicted."
It is past time for the NIH and the federal government to take this illness seriously. It affects as many as 2.5 million Americans and often is more disabling than congestive heart failure, multiple sclerosis, and end-stage renal disease.
An increase in NIH funding to at least $50 million per year is urgently needed to bring funding for ME/CFS in line with illness severity and prevelence.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
We're 5 days into the campaign and almost 600 signatures (7 to go as I write this). We need several thousand signatures to make this worthwhile. Now is the time- the Institute of Medicine report is out, stating how underfunded our illness is, and it's time for action! I am an ME/CFS patient trying to make a difference. Thanks so much for signing and please spread the word! We can make this happen.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Lemmon
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