Each year, September 12th is the European Migraine Day of Action. Today, EMHA’s President and Executive Director have been invited by MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons and MEP Dolors Montserrat to the European Parliament to discuss about how to better help the affected ones to give light to the disease and how to improve the life of the affected ones.
Migraine is a chronic disease which negatively influences patients’ lives and their ability to fully integrate within society. About 15% of the European population has to deal with this neurological disease . It means that in average, in your country, 1 in 7 people suffer from Migraine. Many of them are silent and seem to live an apparent normal life but the reality is other. Migraine is not just a headache; migraine is a disease that keeps people in the dark for hours, days and years in a whole life. Pain is just one of the many symptoms that patients suffering from migraine face, making them episodically enable to think, to work and/or to perform normal social activities for several times. As a result, migraine has a devastating impact on their life and loved ones.
“Personally, I have already lost 13’3 years of my 59 years old life and as many of us, sometimes, I haven’t been able to execute a normal job besides to the huge amount of family and social days that I have missed due to the condition. Like me, 30% of the sufferers have troubles taking a job due to their Migraine. 12% of them have been fired or their contract has not been renewed because of their Migraine. 42% of the workers have been reprimanded,
sanctioned or questioned because of their Migraine(2). This is not acceptable and has to stop.” said Elena Ruiz de la Torre, Executive Director of the European Migraine and Headache Alliance (EMHA).
Today MEPs should join forces to ensure a European society which understands, respects and recognises migraine, health care systems in which patients are well informed and have equal access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment, and a society which fights against stigma so that people suffering from migraine can live better live, a normal life.
MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons and Dolors Montserrat have invited EMHA to the European Parliament on The Migraine Day of Action, September 12th to launch a vibrant call to MEPs to join efforts to drive the changes that so many European citizens affect by migraine are expecting.
“With your help, we can really make a difference for millions of citizens around Europe and make sure that migraine patients are fully respected. I would be honoured if you could join a group of supportive MEPs to increase the visibility of migraine and reflect on how policy makers can help making a difference” said Patrick Little, President of the European Migraine and Headache Alliance (EMHA).
Please, join the movement #LightToMigraine so that together we light up migraine and drive the changes to improve the life of the affected ones.
Press contact EMHA at communications@emahlliance.org
About EMHA
The European Migraine & Headache Alliance (EMHA) is a non-profit umbrella organization, that includes 33 patient associations for Migraine, Cluster Headache, Trigeminal
Neuralgia and other headache diseases, across Europe.
The Alliance was launched in 2006 and since then, our aim is to speak on behalf of and to advocate for the rights and needs of the 138 million people [1] in Europe living with headache disorders.
EMHA is an active member of the European Federation of Neurological Alliances [EFNA], the International Association of Patient Organizations [IAPO], the European Patients Forum [EPF]and also works closely with different organizations such as the European Headache Federation [EHF], European Brain Council [EBC], the International Headache Society [IHS] among others.
[1] Stovner LJ et l. Lancer Neurol 2018; 17:954-76
(2) Migraine at Work survey. EMHA, AEEMT 2018
