The NSW CWA branches have raised $35,000, which will be put towards researching the debilitating disease.

The money was presented to the Lyme Disease Association of Australia at the recent NSW CWA state conference in Cowra.

CWA Hunter River Group vice president Doris Bates and Dungog-Clarence Town CWA president and observer Janet Hayes, secretary and delegate Sandy White and member and conference delegate Kris Burnet watched on as the donation was made.

It is not known how many people have the disease as public health departments to not collect statistics about it. The Lyme Disease Association of Australia estimated after a survey in 2011 that there were more than 900 cases across the country. 

Well-known Hunter woman Tahlia Smith travelled to Europe for treatment after she said she contracted the disease.

The CWA has been campaigning for politicians and decision makers in the health sector to urgently investigate how the disease is spread and educate people in rural and regional areas about how the disease is spread from bacteria in tick bites. 

The 2014 Lyme disease campaign called on politicians and decision makers in the health sector to urgently investigate the contraction of Lyme disease in Australia, highlighting the importance for rural and regional families as people working outdoors have a higher risk of contracting this disease which is caused by bacteria from tick bites.

The CWA chose to support Lyme disease research as its medical research project in 2105 and has again chosen the same cause for the 2016-17 financial year. The conference, which focused on change, challenge and opportunity, saw more than 500 delegates and 150 observers attend. There were key important motions passed in health, agriculture and education. The event was opened by NSW Governor David Hurley, who noted the organisation had been a rock for rural women.