German 500 million Euro research boost for post-infectiuous diseases

With the National Decade, we are opening a new chapter in the research of these diseases. We need a long-term strategy to better understand the causes and mechanisms of post-infectious diseases and to sustainably improve the care of those affected.

German Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space, Minister Bär

The German Ministry of Research, Technology and Space has announced a National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases and pledged a total of half a billion euros for further research into diseases – including ME/CFS – with a stated goal of deciphering their causes and mechanisms and to develop new treatment options. As the Minister stated, “For ME/CFS and post-viral autoimmune diseases, there are still no simple solutions or therapies, and previous scientific studies demonstrate the complexity of the disease mechanisms.”

Over ten years, approximately €500 million are to be made available as part of the initiative – beginning in 2026. According to press reports the policy paper from the governing coalition, by former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and parliamentarian Stephan Albani describe the diseases as “one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century.” Lauterbach also is quoted as saying that the goal must be to research the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases to such an extent that they (ME/CFS and Long-COVID) can be cured by the mid-2030s at the latest.

The following is being planned to make Germany a world-leader in research in the field.

• Additional funding for various research projects , including in the areas of pathophysiology and immunology, diagnostics and biomarkers, neurology/mental health, and long-term consequences of ME/CFS
• Clinical trials are being progressively advanced and strengthened.
• To increase the number of scientific experts in the long term and thus enable more and more comprehensive research, further structural measures are being implemented, such as the funding of junior research groups
• Creation of a new patient database . It will serve as a basis for new research projects and for testing new treatment approaches.
• Genome sequencing : With the NAKO Health Study – Germany’s largest long-term study on common diseases and its more than 200,000 participants, as well as the cohorts of the NAPKON (National Pandemic Cohort Network) Detailed health data is already available from the Network of University Medicine (NUM). Additional sequencing of the genomes of unaffected and ill participants will create the basis for new insights into disease mechanisms.
• In parallel, AI-based applications are to be enabled. For this purpose, an optimized data environment will be established that guarantees the secure storage and protected sharing of all resulting data.
• The implementation of networking and training measures for the scientific community, as well as evidence-based public relations work, are also part of the decade.