In Cort Johnson’s latest piece for Health Rising, experts confirm that the fastest change for ME/CFS research will be via Congress. He notes that Solve M.E.’s Advocacy Week is “our one big opportunity to make progress where it counts the most – at the federal level.“
“There is only one sure pathway to dramatic and rapid change for ME/CFS at the NIH, and that’s Congress. That’s what Ian Lipkin (Director, Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University)– who knows the NIH well – said ten years ago and that’s what he repeated at the recent Symposium on the Intramural study. Vicky Whittemore (Program Director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorder & Stroke, NIH) believes so as well.
Noting that the budget situation may be even worse in 2025, Vicky said, “We need patient advocates to be out there saying Congress we need more money for ME/CFS research and NIH funding overall.”
A couple of weeks ago, Lipkin said we need “better advocacy” at the congressional level, and we do. During the last Advocacy week, I was the only person present at the five meetings I had with congressional staffers. Advocacy Week – now run solely by the Solve M.E. – is our one big opportunity to make progress where it counts the most – at the federal level. “
Read the article in its entirety here.
