Published: 3 March 2026
Over 600,000 Australians living with ME/CFS and long COVID face gaps in education, research funding, and treatment access during Long COVID Awareness Week
Emerge is marking Long COVID Awareness Week (March 9-15, 2026) with a series of national initiatives aimed at raising awareness and driving policy change for the over 600,000 Australians living with ME/CFS, long COVID, and associated energy-limiting conditions. ME/CFS alone costs the Australian economy an estimated $14.5 billion annually. Almost 50% of long COVID patients are known to transition to ME/CFS, with an additional 250,000 Australians already living with the condition.
“Key areas of focus are clinical education, ME/CFS research advancement, enhanced patient and carer support, and improved access to vital services like the NDIS and income support programs.”
– Anne Wilson, CEO, Emerge Australia
Impact on Women
Long COVID Awareness Week coincides with International Women’s Day on March 8. Seventy-five percent of ME/CFS patients are women, and a quarter are housebound or bedbound. Research indicates many experience impairment levels comparable to or exceeding those associated with multiple sclerosis, depression, or cancer. Diagnosis delays commonly extend across multiple years, limiting access to treatment and support services.
Parliamentary Event, Tuesday March 10
The Parliamentary Friends of ME/CFS Group will meet at Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra, bringing together senior Members of Parliament, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and people with lived experience of ME/CFS and long COVID. Emerge Australia is calling on the 48th Parliament to consider investment in GP and clinical education; specialist ME/CFS and long COVID clinics; research funding; and equitable patient access to effective medications and treatments.
New Podcast Season and Journalism Award
During Long COVID Awareness Week, Emerge Australia will release a new season of its Imagine Podcast, which has surpassed 20,000 listens. The season features Emerge Australia Ambassador Professor David Putrino of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, alongside specialist clinicians and people with lived experience. The 2026 Emerge Australia Awards for Excellence in Long COVID Journalism winners will also be announced, recognising evidence-based reporting that has raised public awareness of these conditions.
The changes are planned to start from mid-2026 and will be rolled out gradually over several years. If you have a plan review coming up, the NDIA will tell you if the new system will be used and explain what to expect.