Painaustralia is Australia’s leading pain advocacy body working to improve the quality of life of people living with pain, their families and carers, and to minimise the social and economic burden of pain on individuals and the community.
Cost of GP visits for young Australians
February 2025
Our Consumer Awareness Group member, Ben Nihill, chatted with Hack on triple j's Dave Marchese about the cost of GP visits for young people living with chronic pain.
Listen to the podcast here.
Paracetamol changes
February 2025
On 1 February 2025, new government regulations brought changes to paracetamol. For the past two years, Painaustralia has been a strong advocate - submitting our response and speaking before the TGA - to ensure that consumers living with pain continue to have access. Our CEO, Monika Boogs, spoke to News Corp media about the changes.
Painaustralia at Parliament House
in Canberra
September 2023 Image credit: idphoto.com.au
Last week Painaustralia gathered together with consumers, politicians, and members of the pain sector on the lawns of the Australian Parliament House in Canberra to ask for better multidisciplinary care so that all people in chronic pain can access the allied health and treatment services they need.
At our event, we asked the Federal Government to provide funding to increase the number of allied health visits to 10 per year.
We want to thank the many politicians who attended and spoke at our event, our sponsors, and most importantly the consumers who shared their stories on the day.
Painaustralia also held a showcase inside Parliament House attended by various politicians and health department officials to demonstrate how multidisciplinary care is carried out.
We want to thank all those who attended and supported us for helping make this such a successful day!
To find out more, go to www.walkmypain.com.au
My Pain Story: Benjamin Nihill
June 2023
The youngest member of our Consumer Advisory Group, Benjamin Nihill, speaks to CEO Giulia Jones about his pain story.
Despite facing a challenging setback in 2020 during his ADF training, when he got diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Ben has demonstrated remarkable resilience and rebuilt his life from the ground up.
His story serves as a testament to the power of determination and the ability to overcome obstacles.
Our Latest Media Release
Painaustralia Announces New CEO
25th September 2024
The Board of Painaustralia is pleased to formally announce the appointment of Monika Boogs as the new Chief Executive Officer. Monika begins her role this week.
Monika has been an integral part of Painaustralia since early 2021, initially serving as the Policy and Advocacy Manager and subsequently as Deputy CEO. With a background as a journalist, political adviser, and chief of staff, Monika brings a wealth of experience in government relations, advocacy, and communications. Over the past eight years, she has dedicated her career to the not-for-profit and health sectors, holding both a journalism degree and a postgraduate Master of Business degree.
Monika is deeply passionate about demonstrating and communicating the impact of policy positions on those living with chronic pain in clear and understandable ways. As a determined advocate, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that individuals with chronic pain have access to the best possible and most affordable treatments, regardless of their location. Living with chronic pain herself, Monika understands the daily challenges faced by those in similar situations and is committed to addressing and eliminating the stigma and misconceptions associated with chronic pain.
In her own words, Monika expressed her gratitude and vision for the future: “I want to thank the Board of Painaustralia for their confidence in appointing me to the position of CEO. I will continue to work tirelessly with all of the consumers, health professionals, and stakeholders in both the pain and health sectors to ensure we continue to get the best treatments for the 3.4 million Australians who live with chronic pain and help them to live their best possible lives. I am so looking forward to being able to continue to connect with and build on the relationships with chronic pain consumers and health stakeholders from across the country to achieve this.”
The Board and the team at Painaustralia would also like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Giulia Jones, who has served as CEO for over two years. Giulia’s leadership and dedication have been instrumental in advancing the organisation’s mission. We wish her all the best as she leaves to pursue exciting new opportunities.
The Board of Painaustralia is confident that under Monika’s leadership, the organisation will continue to advance its mission of improving the quality of life for Australians living with chronic pain.
Media enquiries please contact Monika Boogs on 0419 423 603.

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