Invest in ME (UK Charity Number 1114035) - also known as IiME - was set up with the objectives of making a change in how ME is perceived and treated in the media, by health departments and by healthcare professionals.

We aim to do this by identifying the three key areas to concentrate our efforts on - funding for biomedical research, education and lobbying.

Invest in ME aims to collaborate and coordinate events and activities in these areas in order to provide the focus and funding to allow biomedical research to be carried out.

Our aim is to bring together like-minded individuals and groups to campaign for research and funding to establish an understanding of the aetiology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of ME. We hope this will lead to the development of a universal diagnostic test that can confirm the presence of ME and, subsequently, medical treatments to cure or alleviate the effects of the disease.

We believe that the seriousness of the situation regarding ME makes it necessary for governments to provide "ring-fenced" funding for bio-medical research in to ME (as was provided for HIV/AIDS) in order to address the need for development of diagnostic tests and remedial treatments.

We believe governments should standardise on usage of the Canadian Consensus Criteria for diagnosis so that there is an agreed basis (noting that evolutionary improvement would be welcomed).

We believe governments need to not only endorse and adopt, but officially promote the World Health Organisation classification of ME as a neurological illness, as defined by ICD-10-G93.3, separate from the psychological illnesses classified under ICD-10-F48, in order to provide the distinction of the neurological disease.

We believe that governments should provide a national strategy of biomedical research into ME to produce treatments and cures for this illness.

Our efforts are focused on setting up a UK Centre of Excellence which will provide proper examinations and diagnosis for ME patients and a coordinated strategy of biomedical research into ME in order to find treatment(s) and cure(s).

Invest in ME have no paid staff - all work is performed for free by volunteers.

www.investinme.org

Invest in ME 
PO Box 561 
Eastleigh 
SO50 0GQ 
Hampshire 
UK 

Telephone:- 02380 251719 or 07759 349743
FAX: - 02380 000040 

E-mail: