There are six world Regions defined by WHO

• the Americas
• Europe
• Eastern Mediterranean
• Africa
• South East Asia
• Western Pacific

Activities on Regional fronts create awareness and favourable climate for change within each world Region.

The aim, in each Region, is to follow data acquisition (knowledge for action) with interventional programmes supported by educational and awareness campaigns directed at the general public, health-care providers and health-policy makers.

Obtaining commitment

Declarations on Headache, from each of the six WHO Regions that between them encompass the world, signed by representatives of the Ministries of Health in each participating country in the Region, signal governmental acknowledgement of the problem in their Region and commitment to seeking solutions. Commitment by governments is crucial in many countries to making change happen. Lifting The Burden therefore makes it a priority to obtain these Declarations.

Each Declaration will be drafted by a local editorial board and presented at a WHO-hosted two-day meeting in the Region. On the first day, the problem of headache in the Region will be presented. On day 2 the Declaration will be discussed in detail, finalized and adopted.