Health Crisis Advisory
News Desk
Federally-funded research to date:
Too little. Given the dimensions, give the cost to society.
A medical frontier
No known cause, no cure. Even the medications
were designed for other illnesses.
Chronic, Disabling
Both are chronic, both vary in intensity,
from person to person, from day to day.
Widespread pain, sometimes sharp or burning,
sometimes dull. Never-ending fatigue,
not restored by sleep. Neurological
changes. Autonomic, immunlogical changes.
Ripped from their Prime
The illnesses attack people in the prime of
their lives, starting sometimes under 10
years of age. More women than men are
affected, and the risk rises with age into
middle age, but continues beyond.
Rising Rates
There is no Canadian research to suggest what the
growth rate is. We can say the rate is increasing, we
challenge the Government to prove otherwise.
The only rigorous and internationally respected prevalence
study for FM in Canada was done in 1996-7. It
and others suggest 1 - 1.5 million Canadians have FM
& CFS. How many more Canadians have it now?
A small city every year
If 20,000 people per year for fifty years had become
ill, this would account for the minimum estimate of 1
million patients in Canada. Like a city every year...
Since Canada is larger now than 50 years ago, this
suggests the current incidence rate is higher than
20,000 Canadians per year. All in the prime of life.
Health Crisis Advisory
Fibromyalgia (FM), and
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
a.k.a. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis(M.E.)
Life-changing illnesses 20,000 or more Canadians per year
Our Questions:
As we don't know how to prevent the illnesses, does this
not constitute a public health crisis? 1 million already ill.
The first formal call for help by the community was in 1988.
Had we acted then, how many healthy people could have
been saved, or at least helped?
How many more will be battling this tomorrow?
Research is the key!
Web: FM-CFS.ca
Charitable Registration No. 89241 7742 RR0001
This page can be found at:
http://www.fm-cfs.ca/healthcrisis-May2005.pdf
John Ernst
Executive Director
FM-CFS Canada
Toll-free: 877.437.HOPE (4673)
Ottawa: 613.565.2423
Email: Ho...@fm-cfs.ca