The Politics of Pain: Making pain a national health priority- University of Adelaide Public Lecture

In conjunction with Pain Awareness Week, Painaustralia CEO Carol Bennett, presented a public lecture at the University of Adelaide, highlighting the challenges presented in getting pain recognised and addressed.

“Pain is common to many chronic conditions and, if proactively addressed, can significantly reduce the burden of disease, but key policies such as the National Chronic Conditions Framework do not mention the word ‘pain’. The National Pain Strategy provides a very good starting point for developing more effective treatment and management of pain. However, there is no government endorsement of this strategy” Ms Bennett said.

“Our efforts to ensure pain is a priority health issue need strong coordination, mission and strategic intent. We need to rethink and refocus our efforts. Our failure is diminishing the quality of life for millions of Australians experiencing chronic pain, their families and carers.  We can and must do better” she said. The public lecture is available here.