ME/CFS Petition

Weeks of setting the course

The non-profit WE&ME Foundation founded by the Ströck family supports petition of the ÖG initiative for rapid measures for fair care

In 2024, a National Action Plan with the necessary measures for fair medical care and social security for people suffering from PAIS was adopted in Austria after extensive involvement of those affected and experts. The most serious of these post-acute infectious diseases is ME/CFS, which affects an estimated 40 million people worldwide, 80,000 of them in Austria.

Following opposition from individual federal states and social insurance funds, this National Action Plan is currently being revised and a new version is expected to be adopted in the next few months by the Federal Target Steering Committee of the federal government, federal states and social insurance funds.

The affected parties and most experts were not involved in this revision. The WE&ME Foundation therefore shares the fears of those affected that the action plan is to be undermined and severely weakened and therefore supports the petition of the ÖG initiative of those affected.

The online petition of those affected can be signed from May 3, 2026 until the end of June on the OpenPetition website at this link: openpetition.org/kgnmf. It is intended to increase political pressure to ensure that the most necessary measures for fair care for those affected are implemented quickly.

This includes

• good medical care through contact points and treatment centers (including outreach care and telemedical care) in the federal states
• a focus on education and training for the special features of ME/CFS in health and social professions,
• good social protection through independent assessment and improved training for assessors
• a research offensive based on Germany’s model and thus five million euros each over ten years in relation to the size of the population, as well as an initiative by Austria for a Europe-wide research focus
• Long-term safeguarding of the scientific reference center in Vienna

Many of the sick currently have no acceptable care. They must no longer be left in the lurch. The resolution on a new action plan will decide whether Austria will finally realize fair care for those affected. It is high time!