It's time for a change. It's time for the people of Australia living with migraine to stand together and demand equality in healthcare. What do we want? Equality. When do we want it? Now.
Migraine is not just a headache. It’s a debilitating condition that affects millions of Australians every single day. For too long, people living with migraine have been overlooked, their needs dismissed or misunderstood. But now is the time to push back, to say loud and clear that we deserve better. We deserve equality in healthcare. We deserve access to the medications, care, and supports that will enable us to live fulfilling lives without the constant threat of debilitating symptoms.
Migraine is a neurological condition that comes with an intensity most can’t imagine. It’s not just about a throbbing head or a sore neck. It’s about nausea, light sensitivity, dizziness, fatigue, and, for many, the fear that the next episode could be just around the corner drives debilitating anxiety. It can keep us from work, from socialising, from living our lives.
Yet, despite how severe migraine can be, migraine treatment in Australia is often limited, outdated, and inaccessible.
That’s why the “Give Migraine a Break” campaign is calling for immediate action. We need timely access to affordable and effective medications, care, and supports. It's that simple. No more delays, no more excuses.
Timely Access: When We Need It, Not After We’re Debilitated
For many people living with migraine, the impact isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, social, and economic. But all too often, access to the right treatment is out of reach when it’s needed most. We cannot afford to wait until we’re in the midst of a migraine attack before we get the help we need. Access to care and treatment should be timely—available when we need it, not after we’re already debilitated.
At the moment, too many people with migraine find themselves unable to get timely care outside of a specialist neurologist. We need access to trained healthcare providers like GPs and local healthcare professionals who are able to help us manage our condition before it becomes overwhelming. And that starts with making sure that people living with migraine can receive proper care from the get-go—whether it’s from a GP, a nurse practitioner, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, or a neurologist. The expertise should be accessible at every level of care.
Access and Affordability: No More Barriers
We want access to the best treatments available—medications that work and treatments that can make a real difference in our lives. This means a comprehensive approach that includes both preventative and acute medications, tailored to our unique needs.
We need these medications to be affordable. We want them included in the PBS, subsidised where possible, and available at appropriate pack sizes. It’s time for people living with migraine to receive the same kind of support that is available to other chronic conditions. Why should we have to choose between paying for our medication and paying our rent?
But it’s not just about medications. It’s about access to the full range of support services—multidisciplinary care, physiotherapy, psychological services, devices, and welfare supports—everything that can help us better manage and cope with our condition. All of these things should be affordable, accessible, and available when we need them most.
Effective Treatment: We Want What Works
And let's talk about what works. When you’re living with migraine, you don’t have time to waste on treatments that don’t deliver. We don’t want to be told to just “take a couple of Panadol and rest in a dark room.” We need treatments that are proven to work, whether it's old medications or newer, innovative options. The reality is that migraine treatment is personal—what works for one person might not work for another. That’s why we need a range of options, to give every person living with migraine the best chance at managing their condition.
Combination therapies should also be recognised as effective, as they often offer the best outcomes for many people. But when these options are so hard to access, too many of us are left in the dark. We need systems that support this approach, not hold us back.
The Call to Action: Equality for All
For too long, people living with migraine have had to fight for recognition. It’s time to change that. It’s time to ensure that people with migraine have the same opportunities to live a healthy, fulfilled life as anyone else.
When we say equality, we mean equality in every sense of the word—equality in access to medications, care, and supports, and equality in the way we’re treated in the healthcare system. We want recognition that migraine is a serious, complex condition, one that deserves attention, support, and, above all, respect.
It's time for the government and healthcare providers to listen. It's time for real change. The time is now for people with migraine to demand the care and support we deserve.
Together, we can make it happen. Let’s show the world that we are stronger than our migraines. Let’s fight for equality. Let’s give migraine a break.
What do we want? Equality. When do we want it? Now.
Help get migraine a break! Act now to ask politicians to give migraine a break, pledge your vote, and donate to support the campaign.