About Us

Aotearoa New Zealand’s National Advisory body for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and associated conditions

Who We Are

ANZMES Charitable Trust is the national advisory body on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and associated conditions in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Pronounced ANNE’s – MEES, ANZMES stands for Aotearoa New Zealand Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Service, but we officially trade as ANZMES Charitable Trust or ME Advisory Trust, NZ.

We work at the national and international level to inform, represent, educate, and advance research for people with ME. Since the COVID‑19 pandemic, we now also provide national guidance for Long COVID (LC) with ME‑like features.

Emerging research and clinical collaboration have highlighted the overlap between ME and several related long‑term conditions. These conditions often share underlying pathophysiology, meaning there is potential for shared interventions and treatments. Because ME rarely occurs in isolation, ANZMES maintains a national presence across the long‑term conditions sector to ensure:

  • no person is left behind
  • no voice is unheard
  • no issue is forgotten

ANZMES makes ME visible using evidence‑informed international standards and best practices.

History

Although ANZMES transitioned to a Charitable Trust in August 2026, our history stretches back more than four decades.
ANZMES began in 1979 as a place for people with ME to access information, advice, and support. We became an Incorporated Society in 1980, the first ME charity of its kind in the world, operating in that form until our transition to a Trust.

As ANZMES evolved into the leading national voice, the Trust model became the structure best suited to fulfilling our vision and mission [link]and strengthening our long‑term sustainability.

What We Do

Our national mandate: Research, Represent, Educate, Inform.

ANZMES is not a support group and does not provide individual support services or medical advice.
We are a national organisation with a system‑level mandate.

We provide:

  • Leadership
  • Representation
  • Education
  • Research funding and advancement

As the national advisory body on ME and associated conditions, our system-level work is to improve understanding, recognition, and care for people with ME, ME-like post-viral conditions, and related long-term conditions across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our work is organised into three pillars:

Research

We fund, support, promote, and conduct biomedical and scientific research to advance understanding of ME and related conditions.


Our research work includes:

  • supporting New Zealand‑based research projects
  • funding emerging investigators
  • facilitating national research and data collection
  • contributing to international collaborations
  • translating research into clinical and public guidance

Explore: Research

Represent

We work nationally as the advisory body, representing both national and regional interests through collaboration — and representing Aotearoa New Zealand on the global stage. 

We strengthen national systems and public understanding by:

  • contributing to healthcare pathway development
  • supporting disability recognition
  • preparing government submissions
  • participating in classification and standards work
  • engaging with ministries, agencies, and sector partners
  • representing Aotearoa New Zealand internationally

Our representation ensures that no person with ME or ME‑like post‑viral illness is left behind.
See our Representation work.

Educate

We provide evidence‑informed education across the health, disability, and community sectors. This includes:

  • accredited continuing medical education (CME) for clinicians in primary, secondary, and allied health
  • Industry-specific workshops on early recognition, prevention, intervention, and safe management
  • Evidence-informed resources for workplaces and schools
  • Public education resources to improve recognition and reduce stigma

Explore: Clinicians Information

We provide clear, accessible, evidence‑based information about ME, Long COVID with ME‑like features, and associated conditions — supporting accurate diagnosis, safe management, and improved quality of life for people living with these long‑term conditions and their families, whānau, and carers.

 Our resources support:

  • accurate diagnosis
  • safe clinical management
  • improved quality of life
  • informed decision‑making for families, whānau, carers, employers, and educators

Explore: Patient Information

Our Vision & Mission

Our Vision: To Cure.
A future where Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), ME‑like post‑viral conditions, and related long‑term conditions are fully understood, accurately diagnosed, safely managed, and ultimately cured.

Our Mission

To Research, Represent, and Educate.

We pursue this mission by:

  • Advancing biomedical research that deepens understanding of ME and accelerates the development of effective treatments.
  • Representing people with ME at national and international levels to strengthen healthcare pathways, disability recognition, and policy development.
  • Educating clinicians, workplaces, schools, and the public through evidence‑informed resources, accredited training, and sector‑wide collaboration.
  • Ensuring lived experience and scientific evidence guide every decision, so no person with ME or ME‑like post‑viral illness is left behind.

Meet the Team

ANZMES Charitable Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees, which is the legal entity responsible for the organisation. Each Trustee is a volunteer.

A National Advisory Council — consisting of clinicians, researchers, a lawyer, and selected representatives with lived experience — provides expert guidance and ensures our work reflects both scientific evidence and lived realities.

The Board includes an Executive Chair who oversees governance and operations.

Our part‑time paid staff include:

  • National Office Manager, who ensures the smooth running of Trust administration
  • Communications Coordinator, who develops operational content in collaboration with volunteers (currently on parental leave)
  • Financial Administrator, responsible for ensuring the Trust’s sustainability
  • In 2027 we will also have a Clinical Educator, who conducts our clinical education programmes (currently being conducted by the President/Executive Chair)

Meet the team

Alliances & Partnerships

ANZMES connects, coordinates, and strengthens the ME, LC, and long‑term conditions sector in Aotearoa and around the world.

Explore our connections

A symbol of guardianship, integrity, and national identity

The ANZMES logo embodies our role as the National Advisory on ME and associated conditions — a guardian and steward of the community voice. Its form is inspired by taniwha, powerful beings in Aotearoa tradition who protect, guide, and command respect. This symbolism reflects our responsibility: to hold the community’s voice with care and dignity, while advocating with strength and authority across government, health systems, and international networks.

Three koru, three pillars

At the centre of the design are three stylised koru, representing our mission pillars:

  • Research: advancing biomedical understanding and pathways to treatment and cure.
  • Representation: ensuring the ME community is heard, respected, and protected.
  • Education: equipping health professionals and the public with accurate, evidence‑informed knowledge.

The koru forms are interwoven, illustrating that progress in one area strengthens the others. None stands alone; together they create a unified, purposeful whole.

The three koru also speak to the complexity of ME and the need to assemble many puzzle pieces of understanding, yet in a distinctly culturally grounded Aotearoa form. Inspired by taniwha, the koru show how the “pieces” of our work now move together with purpose, strength, and unity across research, representation, and education.

A distinctly Aotearoa design language

The flowing, circular movement of the koru reflects growth, renewal, and the ongoing evolution of knowledge. Their stylised form carries a subtle taniwha‑like strength — a reminder that guardianship is active, not passive. It requires vigilance, courage, and integrity.

Forming an interconnected circle, the koru puzzle communicates that only through connection and cooperation can we begin to solve the complexities of ME, with researchers, educators, and representatives being vital to understanding and progress.

Colour placement with meaning

The logo’s colours are intentionally positioned to reflect the natural world of Aotearoa and the values that guide our work:

  • Gold at the top represents the sun — illumination, insight, and optimism.
  • Green to the left evokes whenua — grounding, stability, and the wellbeing of people and communities.
  • Blue to the right reflects sky and sea — openness, clarity, and our connection to global research and international collaboration.

These colours reinforce our commitment to evidence, transparency, and hope.

A living metaphor for our mission

The ANZMES logo is more than a mark. It is a visual expression of who we are:

  • Protector: safeguarding the voice, dignity, and rights of people with ME.
  • Educator: sharing knowledge that leads to understanding, early diagnosis, and better care.
  • Connector: inking researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and communities across Aotearoa and the world.

Rooted in Aotearoa’s identity yet outward‑looking and globally engaged, the logo reflects our values of stewardship, objectivity, and integrity. It signals our commitment to lead with strength, compassion, and evidence — always in service of the ME and long term conditions community.

This logo was kindly created and donated by Nic Butterworth Design.

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