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Question on ME to the European Commission



European Commission asked to improve Diagnosis and Treatment of ME

 

The European ME Alliance has been working for many months to gain support for recognition of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in the European Union member countries.

01

Willy Meyer MEP LINK

Recently Spanish Member of the European Parliament, Willy Meyer, has made a press release relating to the intention to raise a petition before the European parliament.

02

Willy Meyer asks the European Commission to improve the diagnosis and recognition of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

 

03/22/2013

 

Willy Meyer has asked the European Commission to exercise powers in the area of healthcare at European level to ensure that the health systems of the EU Member States employ procedures for the proper diagnosis of ME and that they no longer confuse Myalgic Encephalomyelitis with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

 

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is classified by the international scientific community as a serious neurological disease. However Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [CFS] is an undefined concept that can lead to errors in diagnosis.

 

In 2009 the Commissioner of the Department of Health Androulla Vassiliou admitted that this term CFS could lead to confusion and problems for patients, yet little progress has been made in correcting these diagnoses.

 

People affected by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis are in a desperate situation of helplessness due to continuous misdiagnosis, mistakenly qualifying their illness as a psychological problem rather than a neurological disease.

 

"The public health systems of the Member States must ensure by all means at their disposal, an accurate diagnosis of all diseases recognized by the international scientific community, any error in this step would have serious consequences for those affected," said the European member of the Spanish communist party Izquierda Unida, referring to the victims of this disease.

 

Regarding the parliamentary question, Meyer points out the need for Member States to implement the Canadian Consensus 2003/ICC 2013-criteria for effective diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and also emphasizes that the European Commission should make funds available to enable biomedical research to improve diagnostic techniques and treatment options for this very serious neurological disease.

 

The European Commission should also be aware that the EU Member States cannot violate international agreements which oblige these acknowledged diseases to be acknowledged; the World Health Organization acknowledges this disease in its International Classification of Diseases.

 

The International Labour Organization acknowledges this disease, which implies that any erroneous diagnosis of this disease is a violation of the agreements that were reached within these two institutions.

 

 

 

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