The ME, CFS & Fibromyalgia Alliance Malta V0/818 were invited by the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca to launch their new leaflets and posters at Rotunda, San Anton Palace on Tuesday.

This same day is also awareness day for these chronic and disabling illnesses and the NGO said that it is taking the opportunity to launch this awareness campaign to further boost their awareness together with appearances on television and on various radio programmes.

These posters and leaflets are to be distributed all around the islands in hospitals, at Mater Dei, any other clinics and health establishments.

The NGO’s aim is to create a social conscience of these two invisible disabilities so the general public will obtain the necessary information on the said illnesses. The sufferers find that through better understanding on the conditions from those around them their lives would be enhanced and their general well-being might also improve overall.

At present the NGO is working together with ETC CEO Mr Rizzo to try and find the necessary framework so that housebound sufferers, who have the necessary skills, might be able to find work from home and will therefore be in a better position to sustain themselves.

Many sufferers have had to leave their jobs due to their ill health and from financially independent persons they are put on the risk of poverty. Such initiative will help re-establish dignity and stability to some of these individuals.

Since the setting up of the NGO two years ago the present board has had various meetings with the health department and also participated in a working party convened by the Government to work on statistics, and improve on existing services and possibly introducing new ones.

The NGO also worked for the availability of free medicines and treatments for the sufferers. In November 2014 Fibromyalgia and ME were put on the chronic illnesses list and therefore Schedule V. Up to now, there are only two types of medicines given for free – one a tricyclic antidepressant and one a pain killer, it said.

“There is still a lot to be done and more medicines and treatments would help improve the life style of these sufferers. At present treatments like acupuncture, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and other treatments are given free but these are stopped after 6 or 10 sessions.”

The NGO said that it would like these sessions to be on a continual basis for their sufferers as both illnesses are ongoing, leaving them struggling throughout their lives.

“Our long term objective is to have both conditions recognised as invisible disabilities, so that sufferers are given the same equal rights as other disabilities are given. Therefore be able to have benefits and are put on the same level,” the NGO concluded.

For more information pleases email: me.cfs.fmalliance@gmail.com or see their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/578351412216496/.

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