Jean Hailes for Women’s Health and Migraine and Headache Australia join forces to spotlight an underdiagnosed and undertreated health condition affecting millions of Australian women.
More than 70 per cent of the 4.9 million Australians living with migraine are women. Many are suffering in silence, with a significant number waiting years for an accurate diagnosis and effective care.
To address the barriers women face in getting a timely diagnosis, the two organisations have launched a survey aimed at understanding the journey to diagnosis for women with migraine.
Director of Migraine and Headache Australia Carl Cincinnato said the survey has already received more responses than any other study conducted by Migraine and Headache Australia, highlighting the urgent need for this research and the strength of this collaboration.
“Migraine is the leading cause of disability worldwide for women aged 18 to 49. Yet, compared to other health conditions, there is woefully insufficient funding and support,” Cincinnato said.
“We are extremely grateful to have the support of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health to allow us to undertake critical research into understanding the barriers and decision-making needs of women managing migraine.”
CEO of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health Dr Sarah White said the inclusion of conditions such as migraine is overdue in broader discussions about women’s health.
“When people talk about women’s health issues, they are often considering health issues that affect women only. Women’s health is so much more, though. We need to understand that women’s health includes conditions that affect women differently and, like migraine, affect women disproportionately,” Dr White says.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Migraine and Headache Australia to develop tailored health information and resources for women affected by migraine.”
Help shape the future of support for women with migraine across Australia by participating in the survey by 9 February 2025.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Michaela Cameron, [email protected], 0429 262 799.
Jean Hailes for Women’s Health is a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering women to enjoy their best health and wellbeing at every life stage.
Jean Hailes is working to create an Australia in which gender has no influence on health and wellbeing outcomes. We are working collaboratively with and alongside others to systematically identify and overcome structural, social and cultural barriers through a focus on four key pillars: providing health information that women need to make decisions about their health; conducting advocacy that changes the barriers that women experience; sharing clinical expertise across Australia and partnerships that connect organisations, and; initiatives across the health and related sectors to facilitate and drive change for women’s health.
Migraine & Headache Australia is the only organisation in Australia that has supported the more than 5 million Australians affected by headache and migraine for over 20 years. As a division of the Brain Foundation, Migraine & Headache Australia is dedicated to improving the quality of life for those living with these conditions through advocacy, education, and support.
All reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the information created by Jean Hailes Foundation, and published on this website is accurate as at the time of its creation.
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