We

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) patients and all those who recognize the severity and nature of this biomedical disease

establish that:

That the Dutch Health Council Committee composition is incompatible with the state of the scientific knowledge, of which the Dutch Health Council is aware (WHO recognition ME 1969, ICD G93.3, the Institute of Medicine refers to a chronic, complex, multisystem disease with symptoms that can be explained by objectifiable physical abnormalities as described in thousands of scientific publications),

• nor does it fit the advisory report assignment given by Parliament (an advisory report about ME),

• ME is not MUPS! The Dutch Health Council should select the best available expertise, relevant to this disease, but fails to do so

and request

To adjust the composition of the Dutch Health Council Committee. Input of patients should be taken as the guiding principle. After all, the Citizen’s Initiative “Recognize ME” was the direct reason for the advisory report assignment. They together with the patient organizations have submitted, at the request of the Dutch Health Council, names of (international) ME experts, who are willing to participate (none of them from the MUPS/Mental Health Care field!). The fact that the Dutch Health Council nonetheless prefers irrelevant MUPS and Mental Health Care professionals, that were not suggested to them, over international ME expertise, is unacceptable. The Dutch Health Council must adhere to its advisory report assignment!