From educating healthcare providers in Africa to collecting survey findings in Ireland, see what our partners have been up to this quarter.
Educating the world about migraine and other headache disorders takes a village and more. With the help of our partners, the International Headache Society-Global Patient Advocacy Coalition (IHS-GPAC) has made several advancements toward creating a world that understands migraine. Read on to learn more about a few of the achievements from our partners this quarter.
Bringing Headache and Migraine Education to Africa
The 2nd Annual Education in Headache to Healthcare Providers in Africa (EHHPA) took place on May 14, 2022 and was hosted by IHS-GPAC, the African Academy of Neurology (AFAN), the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), and the International Headache Society (IHS). Hosted by Dr. Augustina Charway-Felli, President of AFAN, and Dr. Riadh Gouider, Co-Opted Trustee of WFN, the all-day virtual program gave international and African experts a platform to share world-class headache and migraine training with primary healthcare providers around Africa. Highlights from the event include IHS President Dr. Cristina Tassorelli’s presentation on migraine pathophysiology and clinical characteristics and IHS-GPAC Executive Committee member Dr. Olivia Begasse de Dhaem’s presentation on advocacy from professional and patient perspectives.
Together, all of the organizations that participated in this year’s EHHPA showed impressive collaboration and dedication to solving the problem of access to headache and migraine care. Learn more and watch the recorded presentations here.
Promoting Brain Health for All
Leading experts and advocates worldwide celebrated “Brain Health for All” during this year’s World Brain Day on Friday, July 22. The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) spearheaded the celebrations with a free webinar featuring some of the world’s top leaders in brain health, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and WFN’s six Regional Association Presidents. WFN President, Prof. Wolfgang Grisold, World Brain Day Co-Chairs, Prof. Tissa Wijeratne and Prof. David Dodick, kicked off the webinar, which shared new education and initiatives through the five pillars of World Brain Day 2022: awareness, prevention, advocacy, education and access. The webinar concluded with a live Q&A led by the experts.
Taking Steps to Revolutionize Migraine in the Workplace
Due to stigma and a lack of awareness, migraine in the workplace is especially difficult to manage. To gain insight into the culture and personal experiences surrounding migraine at work, Migraine Ireland launched “Migraine in the Workplace Survey 2021” in July 2021. Out of the 400 respondents, 82% expressed that migraine directly impacted their professional lives and 22% had to change their chosen profession due to migraine.
When asked what would be one change in the workplace that would help them, the most common answer people with migraine had was increased awareness and understanding from their coworkers. Migraine education programs like the IHS-GPAC’s Migraine Fitness at Work™ are crucial to increase understanding of migraine in the workplace and help support people with migraine at work.
Amping Up for La Voix des Migraineux’s Second Migraine Summit
After the success of its first French-speaking migraine summit in 2021, La Voix des Migraineux will hold its second annual migraine summit on September 17, 2022. This year’s summit will cover the latest in migraine research, treatment, education and patient advocacy in three core areas: Migraine during Childhood, Migraine with Aura, and Perspectives on Treatment. Conversations on each topic will be led by Dr. Justine Avez-Couturier, a pediatrician from the Department of Pediatric Neurology in Lille, France; Dr. Heather Pim, neurologist and director of the migraine clinic at Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM); and Prof. Jean Schoenen, Headache Research Unit Director at Liège University in Belgium, respectively.
Watch last 2021’s summit and stay tuned for this year’s registration link.
With the combined efforts of advocates, employers and leading healthcare providers, IHS-GPAC and its partners strive to bring migraine awareness and education to a global scale. Together, we can break the stigma and create a more migraine-friendly world for the millions of people living with the disease.
If you’re interested in bringing the IHS-GPAC Workplace Initiative to your workplace, learn more and find valuable tools to help you make a difference on the IHS-GPAC website.
