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The English government has launched a new initiative to tackle the debilitating illness ME - once controversially labelled as "yuppie flu."
The BBC reported on July 16, 1998 that Chief medical officer Sir Kenneth Calman announced the creation of a working party to study how best to treat the condition.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, rarely heard of until the mid-80s, has been the centre of doubt and controversy for a decade with some scientists convinced the condition does not exist.
Now more commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ME has gained growing recognition amid claims that there are about 150,000 sufferers in the UK.
Sir Kenneth's decision was welcomed by the ME Association, which called for immediate action to improve diagnosis and treatment. Speaking at the Royal College of Physicians, Sir Kenneth said, "CFS/ME is a real entity. It's distressing, it's debilitating, and it's affects a large number of people. It poses therefore a significant challenge to the medical professions and, because it's a problem for individuals, it's a problem too for the community."
The illness, also known as post-viral fatigue syndrome, can affect all ages, though onset often occurs between the ages of 20 and 40.
People with CFS/ME suffer overwhelming fatigue, flu-like symptoms, painful muscles and aching joints, and swollen glands.
The condition can last for years and in severe cases leave the victim bedridden.
Last year a survey indicated it was now the most common cause of long-term sickness absence from school.
The association claimed:
* Despite estimates of 150,000 UK sufferers, many GPs still lack knowledge and experience to enable them to diagnose CFS/ME with confidence and offer appropriate advice.
* A "significant minority" of GPs still refuse to accept that CFS/ME even exists, and treat patients in an unsympathetic and sometimes hostile manner.
* Most local health authorities do not provide hospital-based referral services, and many are unwilling to sanction outside specialist referrals.
* Some local education authorities are "obstructive" over provision of home tuition for child sufferers, and some parents are threatened with child protection orders.
* Lack of treatment leads to a national economic burden caused by high benefit costs and loss of tax revenue.
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