EMEA NEWS

EMEA and 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Copenhagen - October 2024

EMEA Presenting at the 74th session of the World Health Organisation Committee for Europe

EMEA News for October 2024

In 2023 the European ME Alliance received ‘ official Non-State Actor accreditation’ status from WHO’s Regional Office for Europe during WHO Europe’s 73rd Regional Committee Meeting (RC73).
This status permits EMEA to participate in WHO Europe Regional Meetings and to make official statements on agenda topics of interest.
EMEA aims to use this platform to improve awareness, recognition, and action for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) across WHO Europe’s 53 member states.

EMEA statement at 74th Regional Committee Meeting for Europe on the agenda item discussing the State of Health in the WHO European Region

The European ME Alliance made a statement at the #RC74CPH meeting on the agenda item discussing the State of Health in the WHO European Region.
We called for a comprehensive and well-funded strategy on ME because:

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  • Human Rights Violations: Patients with ME are routinely subject to disbelief, stigma, and discrimination, which deprives them of essential support and assistance.
  • Universal Health Coverage Gap: Health systems currently offer little beyond simplistic symptom management for those severely affected by ME, due to insufficient research funding to discover biomarkers and effective treatments.
  • Lack of Disability Recognition: Many ME patients remain excluded from the protections of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as their disability goes unrecognised without an official diagnosis.

    • We described key components of an ME/CFS strategy.

    EMEA concluded with a firm appeal, stressing that the longstanding lack of governmental support has forced the national patient organisations and charities within the Alliance to fundraise and coordinate research independently.

    "We cannot do this alone," EMEA stated, calling on WHO Europe and its member states for immediate support.

    Read the full statement here.

    Further Reading: