From Local Pain to Global Priority—How India Can Change Migraine Care
ABSTRACT Migraine is now recognized as the second leading cause of disability worldwide. With over 213 million individuals affected, India accounts for nearly one‐sixth of the global migraine population. Despite this, migraine remains overlooked in national health policy, with limited public awareness, inadequate clinical training, and uneven access to effective treatment. This personal view outlines four critical areas for reform: awareness, capacity building, treatment access, and research investment. The discussion calls for integration of migraine into the national agenda for non‐communicable diseases, in alignment with the World Health Organization Intersectoral Global Action Plan on neurological disorders. A structured national strategy using existing platforms such as the Ayushman Bharat program can provide a scalable model for other low‐ and middle‐income countries. Addressing migraine in India represents not only a national health need but also a shared global responsibility under the framework of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.
Authors
- Murugesan Arumugam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8770-4083)
Institutions
- Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- World Medical & Health Policy
- Published
- 2026-01-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.70059
- Primary Topic
- Migraine and Headache Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00