Politicians have a duty: Improvement in ME/CFS care is required!

Politicians have a duty: Improvement in ME/CFS care is required!

In Austria, the ME/CFS community is desperately fighting to improve their situation. Despite increasing awareness and promises from political parties, care for the tens of thousands of those affected remains inadequate. Kevin Thonhofer, chairman of the patient organization ÖG ME/CFS, emphasizes: “ME/CFS has become visible in recent years, but those affected are still without any care and feel left alone.” There are loud calls for urgently needed measures to improve treatment, care, coverage and research. Gabriele Ströck from the WE&ME Foundation adds: “It’s about building basic structures, because there is no specialized help for those affected by ME/CFS.”

The WE&ME Foundation, founded by the Ströck family, is dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by ME/CFS patients. Christoph and Philipp Ströck, who have been affected by the disease themselves, know about the urgency and the deficiencies in the health system. They report that the few specialized doctors available often refuse to provide proper diagnosis and treatment. This gap leaves many patients trapped in a vicious cycle of isolation and deteriorating health, often with no hope of timely support or return to work. The foundation's commitment aims to raise awareness and advance product research in order to sustainably improve the situation of those affected, as can be found on the WE&ME Foundation's official website.

Politicians have to deliver

There is agreement in the National Council about the need for changes for ME/CFS patients, but the disease is hardly recognizable from the minutes of government negotiations. Despite unanimous commitments from all parties to improve care, concrete measures are still missing. “We are bitterly disappointed,” says Thonhofer and demands a clear commitment from those responsible. The list of demands of the ME/CFS organizations must now urgently be included in the political agenda. The next steps will be crucial to providing vital assistance. The time for empty words is over; Now action must follow, is the clear call from Gabriele Ströck and Kevin Thonhofer to political decision-makers. It is high time that seriously ill people are no longer left in the lurch.