From improving women’s health to fighting for fair drug prices, here are some of the latest contributions by our coalition members.
Increasing awareness and understanding of migraine is never a one-person job. IHS-GPAC is proud to partner with the leading voices in migraine advocacy, education and research. Together, we are working to make the world a more migraine-friendly place. Read on to learn about some recent advancements as well as current campaigns of IHS-GPAC and its global partners.
Bringing Women’s Health to the Forefront
The American Headache Society’s First Contact – Headache in Primary Care initiative is offering resources on women’s health and migraine education to primary care practitioners. The free, one-hour presentation on A Woman’s Migraine Journey explores the approach to migraine therapy based on the stage of a woman’s life, from the point of diagnosis to pregnancy, menopause and beyond. Their special edition podcast series also features some common concerns about diagnosing and treating migraine in women, including how to discuss hormones and contraception with migraine patients, pregnancy management and more.
Reducing the Burden of Migraine at Work
Many people living and working with migraine never seek treatment due to a lack of awareness. To help break the barrier, IHS-GPAC partnered with Fujitsu, a Tokyo-based information and communication technology company, to help create a migraine workplace education program. The online program has taught more than 73,000 Fujitsu employees about the severity of headache disorders, breaks the stigma and empowers employees to seek the help they need. In March 2022, IHS-GPAC honored Fujitsu as a world leader in migraine workplace education.
Managing Migraine at School
Parents, healthcare providers and educators all play a role in helping children with migraine to be successful in school. To help them work together, Migraine Canada launched the Migraine at School portal. Migraine Canada also collaborated with leading Canadian pediatric neurologists to design school medical letter templates. These templates can serve as official medical notes to better accommodate children with migraine in school. The easy-to-use templates incorporate information about the medications prescribed to children. This helps providers fill in the blanks and provide support faster. Migraine Ireland also discusses pediatric migraine in its Migraine Talks podcast.
Addressing the Link Between Migraine and Mental Health
Migraine Ireland launched the “You Are Not Alone” campaign from March 14 to 20 in honor of Brain Awareness Week 2022. The campaign hoped to make those living with migraine feel less lonely and more understood. As part of the campaign, Migraine Ireland created the “Tell Us How You Feel” survey. The survey results highlight that migraine is more than a physical condition. Over 200 people with migraine participated in the survey and shared how migraine affects their mental health.
As part of Brain Awareness Week we are sharing the 'Tell Us How You Feel' survey results as part of the launch of our 'YOU ARE NOT ALONE' campaign. When asked how migraine makes you feel misunderstood #YANA #BrainAwarenessWeek2022 #TEAMBAW2022 #MigraineIreland #Share pic.twitter.com/Jz3qdDS617
— MigraineAssociation (@MigraineIreland) March 16, 2022
We asked over 200 people living with migraine – How often does migraine affect your mental health?
Let their voices be heard, be aware, show you care, share #YANA #BrainAwarenessWeek2022 pic.twitter.com/y07PWfqgzT
— MigraineAssociation (@MigraineIreland) March 15, 2022
Fighting for Fair Drug Prices
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a crucial advocate for lowering the cost of prescription medications. Nearly one in four Americans struggle to afford their prescription medications. Treatments for chronic neurological conditions are expensive and inaccessible to many patients. For the past few years, AAN has been working to push for price negotiation and transparency in how prescription drugs are charged. In 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to allow Medicare to negotiate some prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Read more about the issue of drug pricing here.
Migraine is a disease that can interfere with a person’s education, career and other aspects of life. In collaboration with patients, healthcare providers, employers and more, IHS-GPAC and its partners are dedicated to driving meaningful changes that empower those who live with migraine.
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.
