Date sent:      	Thu, 6 Sep 2001 

Fax from MAMEinc to WHO

August 30th 2001


Dear Dr Brundtland
Director General
World HEalth ORganization
20 Avenue Appia
1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland

Something terribly wrong is happening at one of your Collaborating Centres.
The Kings College, London Centre has created a website
http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/cebmh/whoguidemhpcuk/disorders/f48-0.html
that incorrectly states that chronic fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome &
also myalgic encephalomyelitis are linked to the psychiatric code of F.48 in
the ICD-10.  As you are no doubt aware, chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic
encephalomyelitis are coded at G93.3; diseases of the nervous system. Why
Kings has included CFS and ME in its "WHO Guide to Mental Health in Primary
Care" is an open question.

In addition Kings had created "resource leaflets" which are better suited to
those suffering from depression than from CFS/ME. Interestingly these
leaflets often use as references members of the Kings College of Psychiatry
staff; frequently a Professor Simon Wessely.

I was chilled when I saw this site and navigated through it. I am a patient
who has suffered a severe form of the illness for the past seven years. I am
virtually homebound, unable to provide for any but my most basic needs.
Prior to my becoming severly ill, I had the disease in a low grade way since
about 1958. The trigger for my relapse was exercise. Thus Kings
recommendation that patients undergo graded exercise is truly horrifying to
me. I know of a young woman in the UK who was just making it through
university. She was sent to a doctor who started her graded exercise by
having her walk 20minutes more per day. As a result of his misguided
efforts, she is now homebound.

Apparently some of these leaflets, have already been distributed, though we
do not know how many. Of even greater concern is the Guide itself, which is
meant for doctors.

While ME/CFS remains a disorder of unknown cause it has been clearly
demonstrated that the illness has neurologic (HPA axis) involvement,
orthostatic disorders and results in multi-system dysfunction. Some 800,000
people suffer from it in the US alone. The illness can cause symptoms which
vary from mild to severe - the patients with the most severe disease are
bedridden for years.


I hope you do not mind but I will probably send you more information as it
comes to light, but I do ask that you or your staff look into this matter.

Yours Sincerely

Jean Harrison
President
MAME