There can be little doubt
that the healthcare system in the United States has problems. One of
them is the lack of adequate funding for basic research, much of
which must be funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Not
only is the NIH underfunded by Congress, but research funding is not
allocated in a way to best meet the needs of American citizens.
Diseases and conditions that affect fewer citizens sometimes receive
more funding than those that affect more. Migraine disease and other
headache disorders are among those conditions that receive less
research funding than other conditions that receive more funding.
Addressing this disproportionate funding is the first undertaking of
the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA).
What’s being
done
Last September,
doctors, scientists, and patient advocates went to Congress to
plead our case for increased NIH funding for research into
migraine and other headache disorders. We called this event
“Headache on the Hill.”
Headache on the
Hill made progress, but the necessary increases in NIH funding
will not happen overnight and will require persistent advocacy
on the part of many people.
The Alliance
for Headache Disorders Advocacy is a new organization made
up of doctors, other healthcare professionals, research
scientists, and patients just like you. Our current mission is
to increase NIH funding for research into headache disorders.
What
YOU can do to help
Now:
Look
around our site and
sign-up for email
updates. We will notify you by email when important information is added
to our siteor action needs to be taken.
Spread the
word to your friends and family. You can download our flier and
distribute it to friends, family, whomever you know to encourage
them to participate in this project. CLICK HERE to download the flier.
Early
in 2008:
The most
effective time to influence Congress is early in the year. So it
will be crucial that as many emails as possible reach Congress at
that time in order to affect the 2009 NIH budget. Our website will
make emailing Congress much easier for you. Our email notifications
will prompt you to return to our site and email your members of
Congress at the most effective time. Please ask your friends and
loved ones to visit our site and email Congress as well.
Stay up-to-date! We will email updates when
new information is added to our site and when there is action to be
taken. To join our mailing list, please click HERE.
Your information will NEVER be shared with anyone else. It will be
used only to send you updates and action alerts on our mission.
Quick Facts:
Headache disorders cause more
than 1 percent of all disability and 9 percent of all lost labor
in the US every year.
Migraine
alone is the 12th most disabling disorder in the
US.
Headache disorders are the
most prevalent neurological disorders, affecting more than
90% of all Americans.
The US annual direct and
indirect economic costs of headache disorders exceed $31
billion.
The NIH expended less than $10
million in 2006 towards all research on headache disorders,
comprising less than 0.05 percent of its total budget.
Everyone working on
the AHDA's efforts volunteers their time, but
there are expenses involved in making this site
possible. If you wish to make a donation, it can be made
through the AHS. When you make your donation, please
specify that it's for the AHDA or "Headache on the
Hill." Thank you!
