World ME Day 2026: Why medical education matters

Today, on World ME Day 2026, we are joining organisations around the world to call for better medical education on ME/CFS.

ME is a seriously disabling condition affecting at least 67 million people worldwide. Yet medical education on ME is lacking in most countries.

For many people with ME, this gap in medical education has real and lasting consequences. It can mean delayed diagnoses, harmful or inappropriate treatments, repeated experiences of stigma and disbelief, patients not being warned about the risks of Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM), and a suicide risk six times higher in people with ME. 

Around 25% of people with ME are severely or very severely affected. Many are left housebound or bedbound, unable to speak or tolerate light and sound, need assistance with daily care and may experience intense pain. Too often, the most severely affected are denied the care and support they desperately need, and in some cases severe ME can be life-threatening. There is an urgent need for healthcare professionals to better understand how to safely support and treat people with ME.

Research is still evolving, symptoms can vary widely between individuals, and there is currently no single diagnostic biomarker. However, uncertainty is not a reason for inaction.

Healthcare professionals still have a responsibility to provide safe, structured and supportive care while continuing to learn and adapt as the evidence base develops.

The World ME Alliance Medical Education Hub

To help address the global education gap, the World ME Alliance has created a new Medical Education Hub.

The hub brings together trusted, evidence-based resources designed to support healthcare professionals, researchers, educationalists and policymakers to better understand ME/CFS and improve patient care.

Resources include:

• full clinical guidelines;
• continuing professional development resources;
• severe ME resources;
• quick-reference summaries;
• medicines information.

The hub also includes resources in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Hebrew and Portuguese.

Share your story using #EducateME

This year’s World ME Day campaign encourages people with ME, carers, advocates and organisations to share why medical education matters.

Better medical education can help reduce stigma, support earlier diagnosis, and improve experiences of care for people with ME/CFS. By sharing stories and evidence-based resources, we can help drive understanding of the and the realities of living with ME.

You can support the campaign by:

• sharing your experiences using the hashtag #EducateME;
• sharing the World ME Alliance Medical Education Hub with healthcare professionals;
• helping raise awareness of the need for better ME education worldwide.

You can explore the Medical Education Hub here.

Share the one-page explainer document with healthcare professionals.

And find out more about World ME Day here.