We are pleased to announce that the Japanese National Diet has adopted Japan ME Association’s 2018 petition to the national government, “Petition Seeking Research Advancement for the Neurological Disease ME/CFS,” as a result of voting on the petition by the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, respectively. The adoption of our most recent petition follows the successful adoption of our formal petitions to the Japanese national legislature in 2014 and 2015, and again in 2016.
The petition was introduced to the 2018 Diet session by 99 Diet members across multiple political parties and submitted with more than 13,500 signatures. We are deeply grateful to all of the individuals (which included not only patients but those who first learned about ME/CFS through the petition effort) and Diet members who generously contributed to this significant result.
The petition will now be delivered to the Cabinet, and the Cabinet will produce approximately two reports annually to the House of Representatives on progress on the petition items.
ME/CFS has been classified in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases as a neurological disorder since 1969, and the disease has again been classified as a neurological disorder in the revised ICD-11 announced on June 18, 2018. This past April, AMED (the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development) adopted the neurologist Dr. Takashi Yamamura’s research team for ME/CFS. ME/CFS was also featured in the scientific publication Nature this year, indicating that the disease is now recognized at a global level.
Japan ME Association greatly appreciates your continued support as we advocate for ME/CFS to be designated as Intractable/Rare Disease in Japan and for research advancements that will bring much-needed effective treatments to ME/CFS patients.
Japan ME Association 