Supporting people with migraine disease in Aotearoa New Zealand
Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand
Migraine disease is a debilitating neurological condition. An estimated 753,000 people live with migraine in New Zealand. It’s more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy and stroke combined, however migraine is misunderstood, under-diagnosed, under-treated and under-researched.
People with migraine living in Aotearoa have limited access to migraine support, specialised care and treatment and migraine-specific medications. Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand provides a collective voice for people in New Zealand living with this invisible and disabling condition.
What’s New
Grab your ticket for a exciting in-person and virtual event this November
Atogepant (Aquipta) available in New Zealand
Support us in Wellington at the Green Man
Migraine in New Zealand
Globally, treatment and knowledge about migraine have improved in recent years. In New Zealand, we still face many challenges.
The number and variety of treatments for migraine have expanded greatly in past years. People with migraine no longer have to take medications that were developed for other diseases; there are now treatments specifically targeted at migraine. But what are some of the challenges facing people in Aotearoa New Zealand living with migraine? And what data have we captured from our Migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand 2022 survey?
Migraine Stories
Living with migraine disease can be challenging. Those of us with migraine know that it’s more than just a headache. Migraine is a whole body disease that affects everyone differently. Members of the Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand community share their stories about living with migraine and how there’s hope, even when some days it can feel like a struggle.
Suzanne, Canterbury
How long have you had migraine and what type of migraine do you have? I am honestly not sure. I just have headaches pretty much every day, sometimes 3 migraines a week. I started getting them in my teenage years and they have progressively got worse. Sometimes I think there
Mara, Auckland
How long have you had migraine and what type of migraine do you have? I had my first migraine attack at around age 12 and continued to suffer episodic migraine attacks during my teens and twenties. After the birth of my second child my migraine attacks became more chronic and
Amanda, Auckland
How long have you had migraine and what type of migraine do you have? I’ve had headaches and migraines since high school, so around 40 years now. I’m now in my early 50’s and post-menopausal. I typically have a headache most days that I feel pressure but I try not
Suzanne, Auckland
How long have you had migraine and what type of migraine do you have? I’ve had migraine since 2009 but was diagnosed in 2011. My GP took me seriously in the interim, but just couldn’t work out what was wrong until a pattern in my unwellness emerged. When she suspected