Auf Deutsch:
Gegen postinfektiöse Erkrankungen wie Long COVID oder ME/CFS fehlen bislang wirksame Behandlungsmöglichkeiten. Die Nationale Dekade gegen Postinfektiöse Erkrankungen entschlüsselt Ursachen und Mechanismen und schafft Stück für Stück die Basis zur Entwicklung neuer Therapieoptionen.
www.bmftr.bund.de
Google translation:
Gegen postinfektiöse Erkrankungen wie Long COVID oder ME/CFS fehlen bislang wirksame Behandlungsmöglichkeiten. Die Nationale Dekade gegen Postinfektiöse Erkrankungen entschlüsselt Ursachen und Mechanismen und schafft Stück für Stück die Basis zur Entwicklung neuer Therapieoptionen.
www-bmftr-bund-de.translate.goog
- Research
- Health
Post-infectious diseases
Medical research
Effective treatment options for post-infectious diseases such as Long COVID or ME/CFS are currently lacking. The National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases is elucidating the causes and mechanisms and gradually laying the foundation for the development of new therapeutic options.
Opportunities
- Post-infectious diseases represent an immense burden for those affected and their families.
- The National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases aims to improve our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of post-infectious diseases. Research is being expanded and gradually transferred from the laboratory to the patient's bedside.
- The aim is to improve the care provided to those affected.
Contents
National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases (2026–2035)
The National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases is a ten-year initiative of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMFTR), implemented in cooperation with health research partners. Its aim is to investigate the causes, underlying mechanisms, and new treatment options for those affected by post-infectious diseases such as ME/CFS and many post-viral illnesses.
Research funding from the BMFTR
With €500 million, the decade is establishing a long-term strategy for researching post-infectious diseases. Worldwide, there are currently no evidence-based therapies for the effective treatment of illnesses such as Long COVID, Post-COVID Syndrome, or ME/CFS. These diseases are complex and manifest in highly variable ways, which is why current therapies are limited to treating symptoms. A key focus is on researching the disease mechanisms – only by understanding the causes and biological processes can targeted new diagnostic and therapeutic methods be developed.
Planned research measures
The following are planned:
- Additional funding for various research projects in the areas of pathophysiology and immunology, diagnostics and biomarkers, neurology and mental health, as well as long-term consequences of ME/CFS.
- Strengthening clinical trials
- Structural measures such as the promotion of junior research groups to increase the number of scientific experts in the long term.
- Establishing a new patient database as a basis for research projects and for testing new therapeutic approaches
- Genome sequencing: The NAKO health study – Germany's largest long-term study on widespread diseases – includes over 200,000 participants. Together with the cohorts of the NAPKON (National Pandemic Cohort Network) of the University Medicine Network, extensive health data is already available. The additional sequencing of the genomes of infected and unaffected participants reveals genetic differences. These findings form the basis for a better understanding of the disease mechanisms of post-infectious diseases.
- Networking and training measures for the scientific community as well as evidence-based public relations work for the scientific community.
Frequently asked questions about post-infectious illnesses such as ME/CFS
Here we answer the most important questions about post-infectious diseases such as ME/CFS or Long-/Post-COVID and the research funding of the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
The Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMFTR) launched a funding call in May 2021 to research the late symptoms of COVID-19. Since 2022, the BMFTR has provided more than €64 million for research in the field of post-infectious diseases. The aim of this funding is to better understand the causes and mechanisms of post-infectious diseases and, based on this understanding, to develop new treatment options.
Launch of the National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases
To give research a decisive boost, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMFTR), together with its health research partners, will launch a National Decade against Post-infectious Diseases in 2026. The decade will run for ten years, starting in 2026, and will have a total budget of 500 million euros.
In November 2025, Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär and Federal Health Minister Nina Warken also launched the "Alliance for Post-Infectious Diseases: Long-COVID-19 and ME/CFS." With this initiative, the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMFTR) are sending a clear signal of their commitment to strengthened interdepartmental collaboration. The alliance aims to more closely integrate basic and clinical research with health services research.
Open all
1. What are post-infectious diseases and what do we know about them?
2. What is ME/CFS? Is it the same as Long COVID?
3. How many people are affected?
4. How much does the BMFTR invest in research on Long-COVID and ME/CFS?
5. Has the BMFTR cut research funding?
6. What is the National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases?
7. Who decides on the content and structure of the National Decade against Post-infectious Diseases?
8. Can companies also apply for funding?
9. What is the "Alliance for Post-Infectious Diseases: Long-COVID and ME/CFS"?
10. Which projects are funded by the BMFTR and why?
11. Who decides on the selection of the projects that will be funded?
12. What long-term goals does the ministry pursue with this funding?
13. When does the BMFTR expect results?
14. How are research findings translated into medical practice?
15. When can drug candidates like MDC002 be tested on patients?
16. What role do patients and their organizations play in research?
17. How do the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) cooperate on this issue?
18. Why are there hardly any clinical trials and therapies for affected individuals in Germany despite millions in funding?
19. Why is there so little drug research for post-infectious diseases?
20. Why does research into post-infectious diseases take so long?
21. What is the “post-vac syndrome” and are those affected taken into account?
22. How does the BMFTR inform the public about progress in research?
23. Where can I get more information?
