Global day to raise awareness for ME health equality

On May 12, 2018 hundreds of thousands of people worldwide will demonstrate for #MillionsMissing, a global day spearheaded by #MEAction to highlight the plight of ME sufferers, and a moment to call on health officials and governments to end the inequality of funding and research into this debilitating illness.

The day will see the lining up of ‘empty’ shoes and footwear of ME sufferers from across the whole of the UK, footwear that has been unused and made redundant by this debilitating illness. A truly powerful and symbolic display of how ME is ruining lives for millions of people in the UK and worldwide.

Awareness of ME is one thing, but raising the injustice and inequality of funding is also key…

“This is about more than just a disease. This has become a social justice issue. There simply must be more research funding and appropriate medical education in order to stop this epidemic,” Jennifer Brea, co-founder of #MEAction, and director of the award-winning documentary, Unrest.

From 2006-2015 ME had £4 per patient per year spent on research funding,
a small percentage of which had a biomedical focus.
In comparison MS patients had £80 per patient per year.
Funding for ME must reflect the impact and severity of this disease.

It is estimated that there are over 250,000 people in the UK suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME/CFS), many of whom are children and all of whom do not have the ability to stand up and speak out for themselves – these are just some of the #MissingMillions worldwide, which will be given a voice on May 12th.