Nationale Dekade gegen Postinfektiöse Erkrankungen und Post-COVID-Forschungslandschaft

In her presentation, Prof. Dr. Natascha Sommer provided an overview of the research funding initiatives undertaken by the German Federal Government in connection with Long COVID (or post-COVID syndrome) and ME/CFS. Research in these fields is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)—specifically for the area of ​​health services research—and by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR)—specifically for the areas of basic, translational, and treatment research. Since 2022, BMFTR has allocated 64 million euros in funding, including grants to the National Clinical Studies Group for ME/CFS and Post-COVID Syndrome (NKSG), led by Prof. Dr. Carmen Scheibenbogen. As part of the recently announced "National Decade Against Post-infectious Diseases" (NDPE), the Ministry plans to invest an additional 50 million euros annually starting in 2026. Prof. Sommer explained that the objective of the NDPE is to enable the comprehensive understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases. A significant part of funding is to be allocated to the study of omics—the analysis of molecular structures—in order to facilitate the development of personalised treatments tailored to the molecular profiles of individual patients. Prof. Sommer identified structural development measures—specifically the promotion of early-career researchers, improved patient care, and enhanced networking—as other key objectives of the NDPE. To facilitate implementation, working groups are being established with a specific focus on translation, health care-associated research, and data infrastructure. Finally, Prof. Sommer underscored the critical importance of translational research and the conduct of studies utilising phenotyped cohorts.