Update from the CEO - Supporting Australians living with ME/CFS

EmergeAustralia

I am delighted to share an important update with you regarding the work we have been doing behind the scenes, here at Emerge Australia. We’ve been working on a number of projects, including an exciting awareness raising campaign set to launch later today.

I understand there has been some apprehension within the community about what we have been working on these past few months. I’m really pleased that now is the right time to provide you all with this update.

Later this week we will be launching the start of a six-month awareness raising campaign to put ME/CFS on the map. This campaign will put ME/CFS front and centre in the minds of everyday Australians, healthcare practitioners, policy makers and those most influential within our community.

When I first started as CEO, I had a number of concerns. Firstly, I was concerned about the limited media attention ME/CFS received. Secondly, the majority of important news and education about ME/CFS wasn’t reaching those outside our strong and resilient community. Finally, I was concerned by the lack of understanding among the majority of clinicians, governments and the general community regarding diagnosis and management of ME/CFS.

Now is the right time to launch a bold campaign to address these issues. Long COVID, and the many studies now published about its similarities with ME/CFS, provides us with this opportunity.

You will start hearing about this campaign in the coming days. Our aim is to build the legitimacy of both ME/CFS and Emerge Australia through a ‘disruptive’ media campaign that highlights similarities between ME/CFS and Long COVID. You can see the campaign on social media and soon in print media, in a national publication.

I am grateful to the members of our community and Emerge Australia staff and volunteers, many of whom live with ME/CFS, and/or are family members of patients, for their feedback while the campaign was being developed.

Can you help us?

We are working very hard behind the scenes on behalf of all people living with ME/CFS to deliver an impactful campaign. But we can’t do it without your support. You can help us!
Please help spread our messages via social media far and wide. Like, comment, and share content to your page and with your contacts. This support will make a huge difference to the reach and success of the campaign.

Our annual Christmas giving appeal will also be launching soon. Sharing this campaign with your contacts is one small act that can have a big impact. We aim to raise much needed funds for the expansion of programs and services so desperately needed to improve rates of early diagnosis, and improve the level of care provided to those living with ME/CFS.

I would like to thank you, on behalf of our team here at Emerge Australia for your ongoing support, trust and patience. Since commencing as CEO in mid-June, important work has occurred internally to ensure Emerge Australia has the right foundations to enable campaigns such as this to happen. With a process of re-structuring and re-organising of business processes complete, as well as a review of the Board Strategic Plan and development a much-needed annual Business Plan, Emerge Australia is now ready for this next phase of growth.

There are many more programs and initiatives we are working on behind the scenes. We will be able to share more details in future, but for now, here are some highlights:

Development and lodgement of funding submissions with our loyal supporters for a nationally accredited GP Education Program through HealthPathways. This project aims to upskill primary care physicians about diagnosis and treatment options for those who present with symptoms consistent with an ME/CFS diagnosis or post-viral condition, such as Long COVID. We are delighted to report funding has been received to 30 June, 2022 and this program is now in the early implementation stage.
Funding has also been secured for the development of a database identifying GPs experienced in treating those with ME/CFS across Australia.

Development of a comprehensive funding proposal being submitted this week to the Federal Department of Health. If successful, this funding will expand Emerge Australia’s services to provide more holistic support for those impacted by ME/CFS.
All of us here at Emerge Australia are dedicated to improving the lives of Australians living with ME/CFS. We are working to expand our current services and support to make a real difference. We know the work required to make real and lasting reform takes time; to plan, fund and execute.

Stay with us on this journey,

Anne Wilson
Chief Executive Officer

Daffy_Dave

@emergeaustralia Exciting news! I look forward to seeing the campaign in action

Lau_EA_Aus

@daffy_dave it is really exciting.

Dot

@emergeaustralia Hooray. It is the perfect time for a well planned campaign.
I'll be doing whatever I can to help.

@dot it's really exciting, isn't it! Every contribution, big or small, will have an impact. Thank you for your support

Glimmer

@emergeaustralia Great encouraging news. Count me in.