A new National Pain Alliance, steered by Chronic Pain Australia, launched yesterday (30 March), to advocate for chronic pain to be formally recognised within national health data and policy frameworks.
One in five Australians lives with chronic pain, making it the leading cause of disability, yet the condition remains largely invisible within the nation’s health policy and data systems.
The National Pain Alliance has been established to change that – bringing together organisations representing Australians living with chronic pain across a wide range of diseases and conditions.
Without reform, the annual cost of chronic pain is projected to rise from $139.3 billion in 2018 to $215.6 billion by 2050.
Founding members include Chronic Pain Australia, Endometriosis Australia, MS Australia, Arthritis Australia, Wounds Australia, Musculoskeletal Health Australia, CRPS Awareness – The Purple Bucket Foundation, and the Connective Tissue Disorders Network Australia.
To mark the launch at Parliament House in Canberra, five chairs were placed outside the building – one translucent and inscribed with micro-stories by Australians living with chronic pain – representing the one in five people whose pain remains largely unseen within the health system.
Nicolette Ellis, Chair of Chronic Pain Australia, said Australia’s health system had long failed to recognise the scale and complexity of chronic pain, leaving millions of Australians navigating fragmented care and years-long delays in diagnosis and treatment.
“The National Pain Alliance brings together organisations representing a wide range of conditions to ensure chronic pain is finally recognised in national data, policy and health system planning,” Ms Ellis said.
“If we continue to overlook chronic pain as a national health priority, the cost will only grow – not just the personal costs to individuals and families, but for the economy and the health system.
“Millions of Australians are being held back from participating fully in work, community and family life, and the nation simply cannot afford to ignore that.”
The scale of the problem is stark. The National Pain Report 2025 found that more than half (54%) of people living with chronic pain wait over two years for a diagnosis, while 44% wait more than three years.
For many Australians, the consequences can be debilitating. Almost two-thirds (64%) report being unable to work, while 65% report financial strain, often skipping essentials like food or dental care to afford treatment. Nearly three-quarters (74%) report experiencing mental health issues.
For children living with chronic pain – also estimated to affect around one in five young Australians – the impacts can be just as disruptive, if not more so, to day-to-day life. The most recent Kids in Pain Report found that 83% of children living with pain miss school, with more than half falling behind academically, alongside significant impacts on friendships and mental wellbeing.
16-year-old Laura McMahon is one such example of someone who has experienced these system failures first-hand, having navigated chronic pain following a case of shingles at just age 10.
Joining the National Pain Alliance launch panel event yesterday alongside her mum Michelle, Laura is hoping that sharing her story helps give weight to the impact this condition has on everyday life, school, friendships and the experiences that shape a young person.
“Living with chronic pain can make you feel really alone, because you’re watching your friends go to school, play sport and hang out while you’re trying to manage a pain that no one can see and some people don’t even believe,” Laura said.
“There were times when pain made it hard to get through a school day or keep up with everything, and I could see the impact it was having on Mum too.”
“We spent years going to appointments and doing tests, trying to find answers and someone who could actually help… and that’s why it’s so important that other kids can get support and understanding earlier,” she said.
The National Pain Alliance will work with government, clinicians, researchers and community organisations to strengthen national coordination and visibility of chronic pain across Australia’s health system.
The Alliance, will focus on three key priorities: (1) recognising chronic pain as a national health priority, (2) improving national data, measurement and research visibility, and (3) strengthening policy coordination and access to evidence-informed care.
More information about the National Pain Alliance, steered by peak body Chronic Pain Australia, and its advocacy priorities visit https://www.chronicpainaustralia.org.au/nationalpainalliance/
For more information or to coordinate an interview, please contact: media@chronicpainaustralia.org.au