Vol. 572 No. 2
8 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Health and Children the estimated number of migraine sufferers here; the number of working days lost due to migraine; the steps he has taken to deal with this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22576/03]
The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department. However, my Department has asked the Eastern Regional Health Authority, which raised the matter with the migraine clinic in Beaumont Hospital, and has been informed that approximately 18% of the population suffers from migraine. Migraine clinics are in operation at Beaumont Hospital and Cork University Hospital and provide valuable services to migraine sufferers.
No specific data regarding work days lost in Ireland is available. However, based on British studies, males who suffer from migraine experience an average loss of 5.6 working days per annum, with a corresponding figure of 6.7 lost days for women.
September was designated as the World Headache Awareness Month and this year, as in previous years, I signed a proclamation to focus attention on the burden of headache and to encourage those who seek to alleviate it.
The Joint Committee on Health and Children was recently addressed by neurologists who said Ireland was at the bottom of the league in terms of the number of neurologists per head of population. Given the fact that neurologists can be of great help to migraine sufferers, what is the Minister doing to deal with the very serious deficit in their numbers? The joint committee was told that the Migraine Association of Ireland was lobbying for the establishment of a headache and migraine clinic at University College Hospital, Galway. How is the Minister responding to calls for this very important initiative?
I accept the contention that we have very low numbers of neurologists. The recent Comhairle na nOspidéal report provides a blueprint in terms of the appropriate numbers and the correct manner in which to allocate practitioners.
I am due to meet with the Neurological Alliance to hear proposals for moving on the report in terms of a broad, multi-disciplinary approach to neurological services. While any such movement will be dependent on estimates in terms of additional consultants, I accept that we have a low number of neurologists per head of population. Significant improvement is required.
The Migraine Association of Ireland has been to the fore in creating awareness and providing information for many people. I will be meeting with the association in the context of my meeting with the Neurological Alliance and I will examine possible ways to give effect to a migraine clinic in Galway. The provision of such a clinic would be a worthwhile and logical development following the development of clinics at Beaumont Hospital and in Cork where we have our main centres for trauma, neurosurgery and neurology.
Is the Government providing financial assistance to international research into the causes of migraine? Does the Minister agree that migraine could be described as a single symptom for which there is a variety of different causes? Science has not yet established the full range of those causes, although it has identified the symptom.
I am not immediately aware if we are funding a particular project on migraine through any of the various research agencies. I can check that for the Deputy and let him know. Before a research project is established, a group of clinicians or academic researchers with clinicians must submit a research proposal to the health research board which initiates a peer review process to determine its quality. An initiative in this area would be a good one.
Into the nature of migraine?
I am not an expert, but the Deputy is correct. There are many areas in which science has failed to produce complete answers. The association, however, has done a great deal of work. Associations like this, which need the support we give them, can provide basic guidelines and assistance to people who may suffer from migraine or other conditions. Groups like this can do much to alleviate the stress of conditions like this.
It is a terrible condition.
It is.
In his initial reply, the Minister said he did not have information to hand, but my information is that the health promotion unit of his Department carried out a very detailed survey, the findings of which were quite comprehensive. Is it possible to find out by looking at that particularly detailed survey how many work days have been lost? We are losing huge amounts of money as a consequence of this problem. As the Minister has established how many days are lost due to the smoking of cigarettes, it should be quite easy to work out how many days have been lost as a result of migraine. According to the information I have received from the Minister's health promotion unit, the number is quite substantial.
To be fair, there is a difference between surveys of opinion and research.
Hear, hear.
Having said that, we can make the data available to the Deputy. Certainly, we can extrapolate from international research the probable absentee rate and the effect on workplaces and productivity. In my reply I related the figures based on some UK studies that male sufferers lose an average of 5.6 days per annum and women an average of 6.7 days as a result of migraine.
Does the Minister accept the point raised by Deputy John Bruton that the root cause of migraine is stress? This is a point I have raised with the Minister before. Is this something the health promotion unit of the Department is examining? Stress is a major factor in modern living.
While that is true, we could also do with a stress relief unit in Leinster House.
I ask Deputy John Bruton to complete his questions, after which the Minister may make his point.
Will the Minister consider finding some measure other than work days lost? It is important to recognise that what is critical is the suffering people endure. Their ability to engage in paid work or not is a secondary issue.
I accept that. The ideal is to get a handle on the condition to establish whether we can alleviate the suffering people undoubtedly endure. I have met with the Migraine Association of Ireland regularly during my time in office and I have seen that they have achieved a great deal.
They have, but the Minister must also achieve something.
I thank Deputy Durkan.
Deputy Durkan, we are taking Question No. 9 now.
It is Thursday and Deputy Durkan is in a good mood.
That is characteristic.
