To: Board of County Commissioners
From: Joshua Freeman, Director of Administration
title
RE: Recognition of Migraine and Headache Awareness Month - June 2025
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Recognition of Migraine and Headache Awareness Month - June 2025
BACKGROUND:
DISCUSSION:
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
WHEREAS, there are more than 300 medically recognized headache diseases, including cluster headaches and migraine; and
WHEREAS, headache diseases impact 1 in 6 households in the United States, with more than 40 million Americans living with headache diseases; and
WHEREAS, headache diseases are 3-4 times more prevalent in women, and Native/Indigenous communities have the highest prevalence of disabling headaches in the United States; and
WHEREAS, significant disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes persist, particularly affecting Black, Hispanic, and Native/Indigenous populations who face underdiagnosis and inadequate treatment; and
WHEREAS, it’s estimated that 40-50% of people living with migraine disease are undiagnosed; and
WHEREAS, migraine is the second leading cause of global disability, and notably one of the most disabling for young women under 50 years old; and
WHEREAS, veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have 2-4 times the incidence of migraine compared to the general population likely due to traumatic brain injury, and posttraumatic headache occurs in up to 92% of military personnel who have sustained mild TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury); and
WHEREAS, headache diseases are an economic issue, costing U.S. companies upwards of 78 billion dollars each year in direct and indirect costs; and
WHEREAS, migraine disease impacts all systems of the body, are experienced on a spectrum, presenting significantly different levels of intensity, frequency, and disability, and with symptoms which can include intense pain, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, smell, and touch, visual disturbances, tinnitus, chills, fatigue, anomic aphasia (trouble finding words), impaired cognitive function, numbness and weakness, lasting for 4 to 72 hours on average; and
WHEREAS, stigma and misinformation related to headache disease have stifled research and advances in treatment; and
WHEREAS, all persons living with headache diseases deserve fair, equal, timely, and affordable access to new and innovative treatments to live their lives to their fullest potential.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, does hereby proclaim June 2025 as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month.