In 2023, the Long COVID Alliance (co-founded by Solve M.E.) established a new Infection Associated Chronic Conditions Patient Advocacy Coalition (IACC PAC) using $77,000 in grant funding through the CDC Foundation’s Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions Understanding and Engagement (ICUE) program.
The Coalition brought together patient advocacy groups, medical experts, and community-based organizations working on infection-associated chronic conditions to discuss common objectives among attending organizations and to identify IACC community needs that would benefit from collaboration across organizations.
Together, we’ve engaged with policymakers, supported critical research efforts, and brought much-needed attention to the chronic illness community. The foundation laid by each of these organizations and individuals has enabled the IACC Initiative to take shape and to be positioned for lasting impact. Moving forward, we are committed to continuing this work, expanding research efforts, and ensuring that infection-associated chronic conditions receive the recognition, funding, and comprehensive care they deserve.
To that end, we’re pleased to announce that our community-sourced IACC Resource Guide is now available.
Read it here.
We are so proud to have worked with CDC, LCA partners, and our community to develop the first IACC resource guide. We hope many more soon follow with additional resources for patients!
This collective endeavor follows our series of workshops on the needs and priorities of the infection-associated chronic conditions patient community, by the IACCPAC – a part of the IACC Initiative, led by The Long Covid Alliance, Solve M.E., COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project, and Patient-Led Research Collaborative, with support from the CDC Foundation through the Infection Initiated Chronic Conditions Understanding and Engagement (ICUE).
As the culmination of strategic collaboration between IACC stakeholders, we hope that this resource guide helps to strengthen support for individuals experiencing IACCs. We are so extremely proud of how our community has come together to gather expertise, recommendations, and resources that individuals and families can utilize.
The Resource Guide includes disease-specific patient advocacy organizations, as well as information on specialists, pertinent research, and support services. Our guide is a living document, and we encourage you to share your own preferential resources and insights to continue to help members of our community. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the advocates and experts who dedicated their time and knowledge in order to enrich our guide.
For more information about the IACC Initiative, or to learn how you can help address the needs of people living with infection-associated chronic conditions, please email: contact@iaccinitiative.org.
