Migraine affects 1 in 5 Australians, and almost half of all women between the ages of 35 and 55 (Deloitte Access Economics 2018). It is a serious neurological condition, with no cure, and can be significantly disabling if not well managed. 

For a variety of reasons, migraine has never been well managed. It's estimated half of all people living with migraine have never seen a doctor about it. And most don't know a great deal about their condition, or how to manage it. 

As part of Migraine Awareness Month in June 2020, we called on leaders from both sides to commit to make migraine a national priority. 

At the end of Migraine Awareness Month, our supporters voted to keep the petition up until migraine is a national priority. We're in it for the long haul. 

There has been so little done to better manage migraine that the gains we can make are huge! Here's some of our reasons why we think making managing migraine a national priority is good for all Australians:

• Because there are literally millions of Australians living with migraine, any improvement in the way we manage the condition will have a significant impact on all the systems we currently drain. Less pressure on the health care system and improved productivity in business is just the tip of the iceberg. 
• Migraine is the leading cause of disability for people under 50 - which means that our burden on the health and welfare systems from unmanaged migraine is decades-long. With better management, those young people can stay in work and off welfare, and we can significantly reduce the burden on the health system.
• The most affected group is women aged 35 to 55. They can't maintain full-time work, or get passed over for promotions and pay raises because they are sick too often. Better managing migraine not only improves their lives, and their family's lives, and their productivity at work, it also helps close the gender pay gap. 

We all need migraine to be a national priority. 

Everyone knows someone with migraine. We can improve the lives of 5 million Australians, and their families and workplaces, through some very simple first steps to better manage migraine. We just need our leaders to commit to prioritising migraine so we can start making that difference.  

Please sign this petition to show you think that migraine is important and that our leaders should make managing migraine a national priority.