Talking Lyme at Election Time

As the 2025 Australian federal election approaches (3 May), it’s crucial for voters to engage with candidates on issues that matter most to them. Now is the time to make your voice heard. By contacting your local candidates, you can advocate for meaningful change and encourage them to commit to the recommendations outlined in the 2025 Senate report on tick-borne diseases.

See also: Senate Inquiry 2025

How to act:

1. Find your candidates on this handy ABC page.
   
2. Cut and paste the text below into an email. Feel free to attach your Senate Inquiry submission or include details in the email about your health journey.
   
3. Add the relevant email addresses to the ‘To’ field and hit send!
   
4. Share candidate responses with the LDAA.

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EMAIL FOR CANDIDATES:

[Email subject line] Urgent: Commitments on Tick-Borne Diseases in Australia

Dear [Candidate Name],

As we approach the upcoming federal election, I/we are writing to urge you to prioritise and commit to addressing the systemic failures outlined in the 2025 Senate Community Affairs References Committee’s report, “Access to diagnosis and treatment for people in Australia with tick-borne diseases.”

For too long, Australians suffering from these debilitating illnesses have faced significant barriers to accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and compassionate care. These barriers include:

• Inadequate diagnostic testing
• Lack of clinician awareness
• Medical gaslighting and regulatory overreach
• Outdated clinical guidelines.

We ask for your commitment to the following key recommendations from the 2025 Senate report, summarised as follows:

• Public Awareness: A national campaign should be developed to educate the public about tick-bite prevention, symptoms, and treatment options.
• Epidemiology: Research should be conducted to understand the prevalence and geographic distribution of tick bites in Australia.
• Terminology Shift: The term “Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks” (DSCATT) should be replaced with a non-stigmatising, clearer term that better represents affected patients.
• Guideline Reform: The current DSCATT clinical pathway should be replaced with GRADE-based clinical guidelines to ensure better evidence-based care.
• Fact Sheet Updates: Public and practitioner information materials should be reviewed and improved to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Research Funding: Urgent research is needed to identify local tick-borne pathogens, determine their transmission to humans, and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment protocols.
• Diagnostic Review: International diagnostic tests should be assessed for their reliability and suitability for use in Australia.

Some recommendations closely mirror those from the 2016 Senate Inquiry, which have not been meaningfully implemented. Every year of inaction results in further preventable suffering.

We urge you to commit to two additional recommendations proposed by the Lyme Disease Association of Australia (LDAA) on behalf of the patient community:

• Urgent funding for education programs: Allocate immediate funding for comprehensive education programs for doctors, focusing on chronic illness symptom recognition, accurate test interpretation, and integrated, patient-centred care.
• Recognition of international diagnostic results: Ensure that Australian clinicians are permitted to accept diagnostic results from overseas laboratories accredited under the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC MRA).

Without these two additional steps, the core issue will remain unresolved: the continued dismissal of patients with chronic symptoms and the lack of accessible, effective diagnosis and treatment options.

Without urgent practitioner training and the recognition of accredited overseas laboratory results, patients will once again be left waiting, suffering, and in some cases, dying while government bodies delay action. Entrusting these recommendations to the same authorities that have historically failed to address these issues offers no assurance that the seven proposals will be implemented effectively or at all.

These steps are essential for building a healthcare system that is both compassionate and equipped to meet the needs of this vulnerable patient population.

Commitment Beyond the Election
These measures are crucial to improving the lives of Australians affected by tick-borne diseases. As an elected official, you will have the power to make a significant difference in the lives of countless individuals, families and communities.

The Lyme Disease Association of Australia has further resources that may be useful (www.lymedisease.org.au).

I/we request a clear statement of your position on these issues and your specific commitment to addressing the needs of the tick-borne disease community.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
[Your Name(s)/Organization][Contact Information]

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