by Sasha Nimmo
In a radio interview with The Wire, Senator Scott Ludlam says Australia shouldn’t be funding research into totally inappropriate exercise regimes or therapy, “these remedies are actually counter-productive and dangerous”.
The Wire, an Australian community radio current affairs program, also interviewed Emerge Australia’s president, Sally Missing, and ME patient Sasha Nimmo. The Wire examines the low level of funding and asked Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council how it got funding figures wrong. Listen online here.
“Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis affects up to 242,000 Australians, yet research into the condition is seriously underfunded in Australia, according to Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and advocacy group, Emerge Australia. The Department of Health revealed in Senate Estimates only $1.6 million had been spent on research in Australia over the past 16 years. CFS/ME, also known as Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome, was first recognised by the World Heath Organisation in 1969*, yet little progress has been made in terms of effective treatment.”
– The Wire, independent current affairs on community radio around Australia.
*The World Health Organisation recognises Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Post-viral fatigue syndrome, not chronic fatigue syndrome.