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Today, at Australian Parliament House, parliamentarians joined national ME/CFS organisations, clinicians, research and the patient community to spotlight an urgent call for action. The voices of the 250,000 Australians living with ME/CFS can no longer be ignored. It is the right of every Australian living with ME/CFS to equitably access best-practice health care and essential supports.
The Honourable Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, officially opened the event. Anne Wilson, CEO of Emerge Australia, thanked the Minister for his leadership in enabling Australia’s new ME/CFS Clinical Guidelines through a $1.13 million funding commitment earlier this year. |
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Mr Alan Singh, Executive Director, Research Quality and Advice at National Health and Medical Research Council, provided an update on the progress of the guidelines. These evidence-based guidelines will make a profound difference in the early diagnosis and safe management of the condition, based on the latest scientific understanding.
The power of Parliament to drive change This event underscored the pivotal role Parliamentarians can play in championing the needs of the ME/CFS community. Heading into the next federal election, we called on Australia’s leaders to commit to: - Investing in clinical education
- Ensuring equitable access to health care, the NDIS and other disability supports.
- Advancing research into ME/CFS. 
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A gathering of minds and hearts More than 160 people impacted by ME/CFS registered to join the meeting online, with an additional 40 in person. The session, expertly chaired by Peta Lange, Chief Counsel, Public Affairs, Ogilvy PR ANZ, featured expert and insightful contributions of lived experience from Megan & Angus and Nicola & Bruce, and video presentations from Carla, ME Advocacy Network Australia, and Penelope McMillan, ME/CFS Australia spokesperson.
We also thank the following speakers for their valuable insights: - Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged CareAlan Singh, Executive Director, Research Quality and Advice, National Health and Medical Research Council
- Senator Jordon Steele-John, Co-Chair ME/CFS Parliamentary Friends Committee
- Dr Mike Freelander MP, Federal Member for Macarthur
- Professor Paul Fisher, Chair Emerge Australia’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, Latrobe University
- Dr Richard Schloeffel OAM, Emerge Australia Medical Director
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Our event partners This event would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of the following ME/CFS organisations. Learn more about their vital work by visiting their websites:
Together, we’ve taken another step towards ensuring that the ME/CFS community receives the care, recognition, and support it deserves. Let’s keep the momentum going!
Videos of the proceeding and the presentations will be available on the Emerge Australia website HERE in the coming days.
The meeting was live tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) read the coverage HERE |
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Members give us our drive and direction as an organisation. Becoming an Emerge Australia member means that it’s a little bit easier for us to keep you connected and up to date with our work. |
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A donation to Emerge Australia is an investment in supporting people suffering from ME/CFS and helping to end the misunderstanding around the illness.
Your support is vital for Emerge Australia to continue to raise awareness and to provide much-needed services and programs. |
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Emerge Australia works to support people throughout Australia living with and impacted by ME/CFS and Long COVID through GP Education; Advocacy; Biomedical Research and Patient Support and Information. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country and their connections to land, sea and community and pay our respect to Elders past and present, noting their continuing contributions, struggles, and achievements. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Straight Strait Islander self-determination is a human right, and we honour their resilience and determination across many generations of peoples who have fought for this right to be upheld. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We understand sovereignty has never been ceded. We welcome everyone. Our aim is for everyone to feel accepted, safe, affirmed and celebrated. We recognise diversity of culture, ethnicity, faith and spiritual beliefs, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression (LGBTIQ+), intersex status, socio-economic status, abilities, relationship status, and lived experience. 
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