Bringing the migraine voice to Parliament
Last week our two co-founders Sarah and Fiona attended the second Valuing Life Summit, representing our migraine community at the 2-day event held at Parliament. This invite-only summit was organised by Patient Voice Aotearoa and Medicines New Zealand, and brought together patient advocacy groups, MPs, government decision-makers, industry and others to discuss and challenge medicine […]
PTAC recommends fremanezumab (Ajovy) to be funded
In another positive step forward for access to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) medications in New Zealand, the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) has recommended fremanezumab (Ajovy) be funded by Pharmac with a high priority for people with chronic and episodic migraine. The high priority recommendation was made at PTAC’s August 2025 meeting. PTAC assessment […]
Strengthening our connection with health professionals at the South GP CME
The South General Practice Conference & Medical Exhibition in August was another valuable opportunity for Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand to connect with more health professionals working within public health. The 3 day conference was held at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre from 14–17 August 2025 and was attended by 879 doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, […]
Our attendance at the European Migraine and Headache Patient Summit
Written by Sarah Cahill, Migraine Foundation co-founder In June I had the privilege of attending the European Migraine and Headache Alliance (EMHA) Migraine and Headache International Patient Associations Summit (MHIPAS) in Brussels, Belgium. I was one of 40 people involved in migraine advocacy from 29 countries to attend the 3-day conference. It truly was a […]
Pharmac progress update
We welcome the announcement from Pharmac about the appointment of its new Consumer and Patient Working group that will be helping Pharmac in its ‘reset’ programme over the next 12 months to be more transparent and focused on the needs of consumers. This group is chaired by Dr Malcolm Mulholland (co-founder of Patient Voice Aotearoa) […]
Improving migraine literacy at the Rotorua GP conference
The June Rotorua General Practice Conference & Medical Exhibition (GPCME) was a valuable opportunity for Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand to connect with health professionals and share the most up-to-date information, resources and best practice guidelines. The 3 day conference was held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre, and was attended by over 1,000 GPs, […]
Migraine represented at the General Practice Conference & Medical Exhibitions (GPCME)
Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand is ensuring migraine and our migraine community is represented at the upcoming General Practice Conference & Medical Exhibitions (GPCME). We’ve secured an education stand at the 3-day conferences, held in Rotorua from 5–8 June 2025 and Christchurch from 14–17 August 2025. Our volunteer team has been busy developing resources for […]
Closing the women’s health gap means addressing migraine
“Investments addressing the women’s health gap could add years to life and life to years – and potentially boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040.”1 This quote is from a report from the World Economic Forum on women’s health in 2024. The report highlights that although women live, on average, longer than […]
Meeting with Ministers
On 16 July we met with Members of Parliament from the Labour Party in the Labour Caucus Room at Parliament. This was organised by Patient Voice Aotearoa, the coalition of patient advocacy groups that is focused on improving access to modern medicines in Aotearoa New Zealand. Twelve representatives from different groups attended the meeting in […]
Our answers to questions from Seven Sharp
Migraine featured in the media again on Monday 1 July, with an item on Seven Sharp, TVNZ’s current affairs and news show at 7pm. It started well, with Hilary Barry stating that “migraines are not your typical headache and can’t be treated with a big glass of water and paracetamol” but in a bizarre contradiction […]
