Supporting people with migraine disease in Aotearoa New Zealand
Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand
Migraine disease is a debilitating neurological condition. An estimated 642,000 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
Inaugural NZ Medicine Access Summit
Migraine or ‘sinus headache’?
Survey results published in NZ Medical Journal
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.
Melva, Hamilton
How long have you had migraine and what type of migraine do you have? I had thumping blood rushes when I woke up, and times of visual aura with head pain from when I was about 10 years old. I was X-rayed and given medication in my teens so I
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
Amanda, Auckland
How long have you had migraine and what type of migraine do you have? I’ve had headaches and migraine 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
Jackie, Nelson
How long have you had migraine and what type of migraine do you have? I can’t really remember when my migraine attacks first started, maybe around age 14 when I first got my period. I have episodic migraine without aura. How does migraine disease impact your life? Migraine is usually