NHAW 2010 - NHF 40th Anniversary PR Overview

NATIONAL HEADACHE FOUNDATION
NHAW 2010/NHF 40th ANNIVERSARY
PR OVERVIEW

Campaign:

National Headache Awareness Week 2010/National Headache Foundation 40th Anniversary

Campaign goals:

• Drive media coverage of NHAW by using recent survey results as a news hook
• Infiltrate NHAW media coverage with NHF 40^th Anniversary key messages

Headline:

NEW SURVEY REVEALS CRITICAL DEMAND FOR FASTER MIGRAINE RELIEF
-Experts Urge a Personalized Approach to Managing Complex Disease-

Key Story Point:

Migraine treatment has come a long way in 40 years but more still needs to be done to provide faster relief to migraine sufferers. Forty million people live with chronic headache, and three quarters of them suffer from migraine. The NHF is the premier resource for migraine education and will continue to deliver more education and research to meet the needs of people living with this complex disease.

Key Message and Supporting Facts:

• Migraine knowledge and treatments have advanced exponentially over the last 40 years.
  • Over the past four decades, the NHF has revolutionized the approach to understanding and treating migraine.
  • By advancing migraine education, funding research, and fueling new treatment development, the NHF has led the way in this complex area of medicine.
  • Today, there is a better understanding of the causes behind headache, more comprehensive education for migraine sufferers, and a variety of powerful treatments to tackle this biological disease.
• Despite advancements in treatment, migraine sufferers continue to need faster relief.
  • A new survey shows that:
    • 3 in 4 migraine sufferers said their current medication doesn't work fast enough to get them back to their life when a migraine strikes suddenly or upon waking.
    • The majority of sufferers (54%) said their prescription oral migraine medication is not useful for every migraine attack, yet less then 20% use another prescribed medication when an oral tablet is not an option.
    • Nearly 1 in 4 who don't use another prescription medication simply endure their headaches.
• The NHF remains steadfast in its commitment to improving the lives of people with headache and migraine by promoting the advancement of headache education and treatment.
  • More than just a "bad headache," migraine pain and associated symptoms affect 29.5 million Americans, equivalent to 13% of the population, and one in every four U.S. households has a migraine sufferer.
  • The NHF is the premier resource for people suffering from migraine - from public education campaigns, a comprehensive support group network, online learning modules and toolkits, and a toll-free hotline, the NHF assists millions of migraine sufferers seek education and treatment for their condition.
  • With more than $1.7 million and over 200 headache research grants, the NHF continues to champion for better education and treatment to improve the lives of migraine sufferers. To date, this investment has resulted in the funding of more than $6 million in National Institutes of Health research grants.

Quotes:

NHF
"Migraine knowledge and treatments have advanced exponentially over the last 40 years, but these new study findings are reminder that we have only begun to scratch the surface of this complex, biological disease," said Robert Dalton, executive director, NHF. "More education and new treatment options will be critical for migraine sufferers who are not experiencing fast relief from their current medications."

“As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, the National Headache Foundation remains steadfast in our commitment to improving the lives of people with migraine by promoting the advancement of headache education and treatment.”

Physician
"It is critical that both physicians and patients communicate about the nature and impact of the migraines so they can choose the best treatment plan for them. Every migraine is not the same, so a single treatment approach may not work."

"Fast-acting, non-oral treatment options are needed particularly for those who experience migraine attacks associates with sudden onset, waking, nausea or vomiting."

"The NHF has given credibility to a disease that was at one time considered a psychological illness. Through their research and awareness efforts, treatment for headache and migraine has made significant advancements over the past 40 years."

Patient
"I work full time and have three kids under the ago of 10, so there are already not enough hours in the day to get everything done," said Sandi griffin, 55 of Springfield, MO. "When I get a migraine, I can't afford to wait hours for my meds to kick in — there is nobody to take care of my kids, my job, my house."