Speakers
- Prof Tissa Wijeratne OAM MD PhD FRACP
- Dr Yonggang Wang MD, PhD — Beijing Tian Tan Hospital
- Professor Paolo Martelletti MD — Unitelma Sapienza University
- Eleana Pegg — Springer Nature (United Kingdom)
Abstract
Migraine and headache disorders are among the world’s most common yet overlooked health challenges, with profound effects on wellbeing, productivity, and equality. This multi‑regional webinar brings together experts from around the globe to explore how reframing migraine as a major global health issue can drive progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Rational Approach to Migraine: A Brain-Capital Imperative for Global Action
Migraine is far more than a headache — it is a chronic brain condition that silently affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, particularly across the Asia–Oceania region. Despite its enormous burden, migraine remains under-recognised, underdiagnosed, and undertreated, leading to profound consequences for individuals, families, and societies.
This webinar reframes migraine through a powerful new lens: brain capital — the cognitive, emotional, and creative capacity that drives human potential and economic productivity. When migraine is neglected, it erodes learning, decision-making, workforce participation, and innovation, ultimately undermining progress across multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including health, education, gender equity, and economic growth.
Drawing on global clinical experience and policy engagement, this session presents a practical, scalable, and equity-focused approach to migraine care. It highlights how simple, cost-effective strategies — early diagnosis, structured care pathways, non-pharmacological interventions, and rational use of therapies — can significantly reduce disability and improve quality of life, even in resource-limited settings.
Importantly, the webinar calls for a shift from fragmented, reactive care to an integrated brain-health approach, embedding migraine into primary care, workforce policy, and universal health coverage.
This is not just a clinical challenge — it is a strategic, economic, and moral imperative. Addressing migraine effectively is an investment in healthier individuals, stronger communities, and more resilient societies.
The time to act is now.
Looking for more in the field?
Explore more events from The Journal of Headache and Pain Seminar Series and Springer Nature's Neuroscience.