Fibromyalgia Association of Sweden

President: Marie-Louise Olsson
Vice President: Elisabeth Gustavsson
Treasurer: Kajsa Dijkstra Ericsson
Assisting Secretary: Gunilla Lecoq
Members: Sigyn Björk, Susanne Yngwe, Susanne Werme

Fibromyalgia Association of Sweden was founded on the 25th of April 1998,
on the initiative of 14 local fibromyalgia associations. The association was
founded because there was a need for an organization that would focus solely
on fibromyalgia. The association is continuously growing. Today we have a
total of approximately 4 000 members in 48 local associations, representing all
parts of the country. The first five years were tough since we did not receive
any government grant, but after receiving it we could start implementing
everything that had been planned.

The objectives of the organization are as follows:

• That society through medical, social, and economic measures will ease
  the situation for people suffering from fibromyalgia.
• To inform the medical services, employers, and others, about
  fibromyalgia.
• To increase the awareness and understanding of the disease.
• To influence political decisions which are of consequence to people with
  fibromyalgia.
• To get more efficient treatment methods through increased research.

We hope that PAE will help to increase the awareness of chronic pain, and the
understanding of the enormous costs that chronic pain has on society, and
on the patients. In order to improve the situation for chronic pain patients
in Europe, the management of chronic pain has to improve. That includes
everything from knowledge in the medical field (diagnosis and treatment) to
knowledge, and understanding among policy-makers, and politicians.
We also hope that PAE can be a forum for exchanging experiences, and ideas
that might help to improve the situation for chronic pain patients in Europe.