The Canary: There was a political tremor this week over one of the world’s most neglected diseases

Andy

Andy

Retired committee member
There was a sudden flurry of political activity during the past week over one of the most under-researched and stigmatised diseases going: myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, commonly referred to as ME/CFS or ME.

A debilitating disease
ME is a chronic systemic neuroimmune disease. It affects an estimated 17 million people worldwide and around 250,000 people in the UK. But the disease has been fraught with controversy. Not least because for decades (and often still to this day), the medical profession has not properly recognised it. So campaign groups like #MEAction are trying to raise awareness of the disease. And it now seems their message, and that of the ME community as a whole, is dripping through to our politicians.

ME in parliament
On Tuesday 5 June, SNP MP Carol Monaghan brought an early day motion, one she’d previously raised, to the House of Commons backbench business committee. Monaghan was hoping to secure a full parliamentary debate into ME. And she partly did; managing to get a three hour Westminster Hall debate on 21 June. Monaghan said in her evidence to the committee:
Click to expand...
https://www.thecanary.co/discovery/...er-one-of-the-worlds-most-neglected-diseases/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom