Lifting The Burden Newsletter - Issue 5 (December 2008)

Welcome to LTB News, a regular newsletter to keep you up to date with what's happening - and what is planned to happen - in Lifting The Burden: the Global Campaign to Reduce the Burden of Headache Worldwide.

Welcome to the latest issue of LTB News. A special welcome to those new readers who have made a donation to the work of Lifting The Burden. Your contribution is invaluable in helping the campaign to achieve its objective of access to headache treatment for everyone.

So, for those new to the newsletter, in this issue we're summarising the projects that you're making a difference to. For example, as the burden of headache study commences in China, a new burden of headache study in Brazil is in the planning stages and, if resources are raised, will get underway next year.

We're also taking a look at some on-going work to evaluate the quality of headache services, where these exist. As regular readers are aware, there is a paucity of headache services in many part of the world. Lifting The Burden hopes its work over the coming years will see that situation change and headache services established to provide support and treatment for the millions of people with headache who are currently receiving little to no help for it, despite the physical and psychological burden of headache disorders.

What is most important, however, is that these headache services reach an agreed standard. The way in which headache services are delivered may vary greatly, according to the culture and environment in which they are set, but a basic quality of care for headache is a requirement for everyone, irrespective of where in the world they are.

If you wish to contact me on any subjects relating to this newsletter - please do so at isismedical@btinternet.com. If you need help with any technical issues regarding the newsletter then please contact: technical.support@l-t-b.org.

And remember to bookmark http://www.l-t-b.org for all that's new - and not new - from Lifting The Burden: the Global Campaign to Reduce the Burden of Headache Worldwide.

What's been done

• A summary of the activities of Lifting The Burden - for those new to the newsletter and a reminder for regular readers, the aims of the campaign and what has so far achieved. For more, click here.

• China prevalence study begins - mapping the burden of headache across the globe is one of the first priorities of Lifting The Burden. Studies have been completed in Moldova and Georgia, and another is underway in Russia. Plans for China are progressing well. For more, click here.

• Brazil prevalence pilot planning begins - Brazil has now secured the support of a group of investigators to undertake a burden of headache study across five regions in 2009, subject to funding. We'll bring you more information in future issues of LTB News.

• Headache service quality evaluation - as the mapping of the burden of headache continues, Lifting The Burden is now moving onto the next phase of work: the planning and implementation of healthcare solutions for headache in various world regions. This work raises an important question - how should existing and new headache services be evaluated, and judged for quality? For more, click here.

About Lifting The Burden

• For a reminder of Lifting The Burden's vision and aims, click here.

And to end for now ...

We welcome your feedback and thoughts on Lifting The Burden, so don't hesitate to get in touch.

Marianne Mac Donald
Editor