Every year, April 17 marks the global celebration of World Haemophilia Day. This is a special day allocated to raising awareness about haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders. The day honours the efforts of Frank Schnabel, the founder of the World Federation of Haemophilia (WHF). This year, the theme is Outreach & Identification—preparing a path for care. Since its inception in 1989, World Haemophilia Day has been uniting communities to commemorate continuous advances in treatments, increase public understanding, and emphasize the importance of proper care.
About Haemophilia
Primarily an inherited disorder, haemophilia is a medical condition that drastically reduces the blood’s ability to clot. This means that even a trivial injury could lead to significant bleeding in individuals with haemophilia. The condition stems from the lack of adequate clotting factor – a crucial protein controlling bleeding in the blood. Research shows that it is quite uncommon, affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 people.
Major Types of Haemophilia
The most frequently diagnosed type of haemophilia is Haemophilia A, where an individual lacks sufficient clotting factor VIII (factor eight). Haemophilia B, although less common, is a condition where the person does not have enough factor IX (factor nine). Men are more susceptible to haemophilia than women.
Symptoms
Common indicators of haemophilia include large bruises, spontaneous bleeding, prolonged bleeding following an injury or surgical operation, and bleeding into muscles and joints. Diagnosis usually involves taking a blood sample and examining the level of factor activity in the blood.
Treatment
The primary effective treatment for haemophilia is Replacement Therapy. This entails administering concentrates of clotting factor VIII (for Haemophilia A) or clotting factor IX (for Haemophilia B) into a vein. These infusions act to replenish the depleted clotting factor.
Haemophilia Statistics
| Year | Number of People Living with Haemophilia Worldwide |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Over 1.96 lakh |
| Country with Highest Count (2017) | India (Approximately 19,000 registered cases) |
According to the World Federation of Haemophilia’s Annual Global Survey 2017, more than 1.96 lakh people were living with haemophilia around the globe in 2017. In a country-specific breakdown, India stands out with the highest count at nearly 19,000. Experts estimate that about 80% of cases in India are unregistered due to lack of proper diagnostic facilities in remote areas, bringing the actual figure closer to 2 lakh.
World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH)
The World Federation of Haemophilia is an internationally recognized, not-for-profit organization founded in 1963. It acts as a global network of patient organizations across 140 countries and has been officially acknowledged by the World Health Organization. The WFH works with a mission to enhance and sustain care for people struggling with inherited bleeding disorders worldwide.
