Struggled to see a neurologist in New Zealand? Here are some reasons why
Many people with chronic, complex or difficult-to-treat migraine could benefit from being seen by a neurologist. Although GPs can manage many people with migraine, when they’ve gone through the recommended list of treatments and things are still not right, it’s reassuring to have a specialist who can confirm that migraine is the cause, consider alternative […]
Half of those with migraine symptoms in NZ have not been diagnosed
The Ministry of Health has just published results on migraine from the 2023/24 New Zealand Health Survey. Key findings include that 1 in 7 adults in NZ (15%) reported migraine symptoms in the last three months, based on a validated screening questionnaire, but half of these had never been diagnosed with migraine by a doctor. […]
Migraine workplace awareness research project funded
In another exciting migraine research update for the start of 2026, the Neurological Foundation awarded the VJ Chapman Fellowship to Dr Sue Meredith, to develop and test an online workplace migraine education programme in Canada. The VJ Chapman Fellowship funds a NZ neurology trainee to go overseas for research and clinical experience, so they can […]
New research funded to investigate who’s missing out on migraine care in Aotearoa NZ
We’re delighted to announce that Dr Fiona Imlach, co-founder of Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Otago Wellington, has been awarded a $299,906 project grant from the Neurological Foundation NZ to investigate differences in migraine diagnosis and treatment across the country. Fiona will lead a team including data […]
Participate in creative research about migraine
Statistics can reveal patterns and trends, but they often miss the depth and complexity of individual experiences. Research shows that for migraine, prevention is the gold standard. However, there are many barriers, both social and financial, to accessing preventive medication in New Zealand. Funding decisions for medications are often based on cost-effectiveness analysis – but […]
Results from survey on triptans use in NZ
During June and July 2025, we conducted an online survey asking people about their use of triptans for migraine and the need for more medication options to treat migraine attacks. New Zealand deserves more migraine-specific acute medications. We only have two triptans, which are the migraine-specific medications used when you have a migraine attack. Globally […]
Registrations open to participate in a migraine clinical trial in New Zealand
A new migraine clinical trial is getting ready to kick off in New Zealand, testing a potential new medication that aims to help prevent migraine attacks. The clinical trial is being conducted by three clinical trial companies – Optimal Clinical Trials, Pacific Clinical Research Network (PCRN) and the New Zealand Brain Research Institute (NZBRI), with […]
New research on migraine in New Zealand: primary care perspective
During the summer of 2024/25, Migraine Foundation researchers and 4th year medical student Julia Randerson interviewed eight primary care clinicians (five GPs and three nurse practitioners) to find out about their experiences of managing people with migraine, including barriers to and support for effective care. She reflects on what she found here. In summary, key […]
What primary care clinicians think about managing migraine
In this guest blog, medical student Julia Randerson shares what she learnt about how migraine is managed in NZ from interviewing primary care clinicians. Tēnā koutou katoa, Migraine Foundation whānau! My name is Julia, and I’m a fourth-year medical student at the University of Otago, based at the Pōneke campus. I spent last summer working […]
Searching for relief: What the Migraine in Aotearoa NZ Survey reveals about treatment gaps in New Zealand
The Migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand Survey collected a range of information about people’s experiences of migraine in 2022. We have used that information in our application to Pharmac to fund galcanezumab (Emgality), in presentations and webinars to health professionals and to publish articles in the scientific literature. This has helped us gain media coverage […]
