IASP® Global Year Against Pain

IASP promotes the Global Day and Global Year Against Pain to raise awareness of pain worldwide. The Global Day launches the Global Year, which is a year-long event held to raise awareness of the different aspects of pain.

Why focus on Pain?

Pain, particularly chronic pain, is a major factor impacting quality of life worldwide, and will continue to become more so as the average lifespan increases. In particular, in developing countries there are several serious diseases that can cause severe pain of which there is often little or no pain relief available.

The control of pain has been a relatively neglected area of governmental concern in the past, despite the fact that cost-effective methods of pain control are available.

IASP believes it is time to raise the profile of pain and promote the recognition of chronic pain as an important health concern. Although few people die of pain, many people die in pain and even more live in pain.

The Global Year Against Pain

The Global Day Against Pain was initially launched by the European Federation of IASP Chapters (EFIC) when David Niv, IASP member & EFIC president (now deceased) conceived the idea in 2001.

Following the success of this initiative, the IASP council acknowledged the need to develop a powerful statement raising the profile of pain worldwide. The first Global Year Against Pain was launched in 2004 led by IASP and internationally supported by various IASP chapters and federations holding their own local events and activities.

Each year IASP focuses on raising awareness of a different aspect of pain that has global implications. The focus for 2008 will be Pain in Women, highlighting the Real Women, Real Pain campaign.

This year the Global Year Against Pain launches on October 15, 2007.

The objectives of the 2008 Global Year Against Pain are to:

• Increase awareness of pain conditions predominantly affecting women and help women and healthcare providers recognize signs and symptoms 
• Raise awareness of disparities between female/male pain issues
• Empower women to become advocates for themselves and others, by encouraging them to affirm their pain is real and seek proper treatment
• Increase female-specific research 
• Encourage the development of new female-specific treatment options