Switzerland joins European ME Alliance, bringing total countries to nine

[leelaplay]

info@euro-me.org posted this to co-cure Feb 16 '10

European ME Alliance Announces New Member

The European ME Alliance (EMEA) is pleased to announce that Verein CFS of Switzerland is to become the newest member of the Alliance.

Verein CFS is a patient organisation based in Zurich that provides information for members and regional groups in Switzerland via presentations, meetings, telephone support, library books and via its website.

The announcement brings to nine the number of European members in EMEA with member groups already in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and UK.

EMEA groups are organising two biomedical research conferences during 2010. The first in London on 24th May and the other in Dortmund on 25th September 2010.

We hope to have more news on these conferences later.

More details - http://www.euro-me.org/news-Q1-2010.htm

European ME Alliance
www.europeanmealliance.org

 

[starryeyes]

This looks frightening to me. I'm sorry to see countries like the UK joining together with so the major countries in Europe.

 

[leelaplay]

hi tee

I'm not sure why you're frightened. This looks like a good thing to me. Here's from the beginning of their website:

Who we are

The European ME Alliance is a grouping of European organisations who are involved in supporting patients suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME or ME/CFS) and are campaigning for funding for biomedical research to provide treatments and cures for ME.

The alliance was formed in 2008 by national charities and organisations from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the UK. Spain and Switzerland are now represented in the Alliance.

ME/CFS is a debilitating neurological illness classified as such by the World Health Organisation under ICD-10 G93.3.

Our aim is to bring together a European lobby of groups to campaign for funding of biomedical research to establish an understanding of the aetiology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of ME/CFS. This should lead to the development of treatments to cure or alleviate the effects of the illness.

and from my first post:

EMEA groups are organising two biomedical research conferences during 2010. The first in London on 24th May and the other in Dortmund on 25th September 2010.

More details - http://www.euro-me.org/news-Q1-2010.htm

European ME Alliance
www.europeanmealliance.org

 

[starryeyes]

I changed my post after I clicked on the link. I agree, this does look like a good thing, very good. That's great. :Retro smile:

 

[patrick]

Thank you for that, Islandfinn! Being a member of the CFS Verein Schweiz myself, it would have been up to me to post this one, I guess... And yes, it's a really good thing!

 

[leelaplay]

hi patrick - and welcome to the forum!

I love how ambitious your group is - mounting 2 conferences this year.

If I remember correctly, the first will be attached to the Invest in ME conference May 24 (with that fantastic line-up of researchers). And you've invited Health Ministers. What a fantastic idea to educate policy makers.

Hmmmm - I have so many questions to ask: Any confirmations yet? Who else invited (eg Deans of Medical Schools?) format?

Maybe you would be kind enough to start a thread, something like European ME Alliance 2010 conference updates to keep us informed? I'm sure many people are interested in what you are doing.

 

[patrick]

Yes, the EMEA has invited Health Ministers and/or CMOs from all member countries, although, honestly, I don't think that there has been a lot of feedback to this invitations. But it's a nice try, and they will keep on trying in the future until they succeed one day. For the German-speaking countries the second conference this year ( in September in Dortmund) is also quite important, for it's going to be the biggest ever, I think, and the level of public awareness towards ME/CFS is still extremely low here. It doesn't even exist yet in Germany or Switzerland or Austria, so to speak, but this is probably still better than having to put up a fight against a super-strong psycho-lobby. Yes, maybe I'll find the time to keep you informed of what's going on here in Europe and especially continental Europe regarding the ME/CFS-conferences.