HR0021 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0021 LRB100 00300 MST 15856 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), has been found by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to be "a serious, chronic, complex, and systemic disease that frequently and dramatically limits the activities of affected patients", leaving them with a lower quality of life than those suffering from multiple sclerosis, stroke, renal failure, heart failure, and other chronic diseases; and

WHEREAS, Between 39,000 and 99,000 of Illinois residents of all ages, races, and genders are believed to be afflicted with ME, with an estimated 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans afflicted and 17 million worldwide; and

WHEREAS, ME persists for years or even decades because of a lack of treatments, leaving one quarter of patients homebound or bedbound, with many students unable to attend school and 50-75% of patients unable to work at an annual cost of $17 million to $24 million in medical expenses and lost productivity; and

WHEREAS, The National Academy of Medicine noted a lack of knowledge about the disease due to a "paucity of research" and "remarkably little research funding", and concluded that "more research is essential"; and

WHEREAS, The National Academy of Medicine noted that the medical community "generally still doubts the existence or seriousness of this disease" and patients have difficulty being diagnosed or accessing quality medical care; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we:

(1) Recognize that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is a tragic, disabling disease that destroys the lives of many patients and takes a severe toll on their families, friends, and caretakers;

(2) Recognize and affirm the commitment of Illinois to improving the availability and quality of medical and supportive care for ME patients;

(3) Recommend that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) fund ME research at a level commensurate with similarly burdensome diseases;

(4) Encourage universities in Illinois to focus research attention on this underserved disease;

(5) Recommend that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disseminate new ME medical education, updated in accordance with the National Academy of Medicine recommendations, the recommendations of the CFS Advisory Committee of the United States Department of Health and Human Services's, and the best practices of disease experts; and

(6) Encourage media organizations to inform the public about the seriousness of the disease.