Letter from the President

To the members

Thanks to all of you and to a number of people devoting much of their time to run sub-committees and executives, the IHS has grown over the last 15 years from a small, ‘good-will’ club to a large, well-organized and effective society. We owe much of the recent progress to the efficiency and meticulousness of our previous General Secretary, Tim Steiner. At first sight, it seems easy to take over such a ‘winning’ team. However, a ‘victory has to be won everyday again’ and the time may be ripe for the IHS to become even better at the eve of the 3rd millennium. How this might happen can be summarized as follows and is already indicated by certain recent IHS initiatives.

1. We have to become more numerous. Membership of the IHS has grown from ± 880 to ± 1100 during the last decade. Although this is encouraging, it is not satisfactory considering the world-wide ambitions of the IHS. The vast majority of present IHS members come from Western Europe. Membership from North America is modest compared to the vast number of clinicians and researchers interested in headache. One reason is that these colleagues benefit from excellent support by AASH and do not feel the need to join the IHS. AASH and IHS, however, are complementary bodies and the IHS should make every effort to tighten its relationship with AASH for mutual benefit.

A vast number of colleagues in Central and South America, Africa, Polynesia, Asia or the Middle East are not interested in IHS, because their knowledge of the English language is not sufficient to participate actively in IHS activities or read without trouble its publications. Linguistic sections within the IHS, structured as sub-committees with a mixture of members of emerging and developed countries, could fulfil these needs. Obvious sections in the first instance could be French speaking (North and Central Africa, Polynesia, France, Quebec…), Hispanic (Central & South America, Spain…) and Arabic (Arabian countries, Egypt…). Activities might include translations of articles published in Cephalalgia and organization in emerging countries of educational and/or scientific meetings in the native language.

A more user-friendly and useful IHS web-site offering various services, including on-site member registration, will also raise interest in the IHS.

2. We could be more democratic. The other reason for potential disinterest in the IHS, might be the feeling that decisions are made by a handful of persons without significant rotations over the years. Although a restricted, dynamic core is vital to any society, the IHS should aim to involve more directly its numbers in the selection of Executive Committee members and in certain strategic decisions, for instance through ballot voting, which is functioning well in other large scientific societies.

3. Young people and women may not be attracted by the IHS, because they feel their voices cannot be heard. Fresh blood is needed for keeping up with our high standards and for providing new ideas. Many headache types are much more prevalent in women and our female colleagues should not be under-represented in our decisional structures. So, let's become less old (which is well underway with the recently created Trainees and Residents Sub-committee) and more feminine (which is in part fulfilled with the new General Secretary).

4. Patients who cannot afford a triptan or decision makers who are asked to include headache therapies into their health budget may be shocked by the exuberant social events sponsored by pharmaceutical companies at our Congresses. In order not to lose credibility, we need to become more ethical and negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry a transfer of some of their PR budget to support research and educational activities organized by the IHS and its sub-committees.

To initiate and promote these objectives, will be my major preoccupation during my 2-year term as President. Needless to say that all ongoing activities should be supported without reservation. This can be done by building upon the present valid foundation of the IHS. At the beginning of the 3rd millennium the profile of the IHS might have evolved from ‘international’ to ‘world-wide’, an evolution that cannot be celebrated better than in cosmopolitan New York, the venue of our next Congress.

Jean Schoenen