Bhubaneswar, Apr 17: The date Apr 17 is marked as ‘World Hemophilia Day’ and it is celebrated all around the world today.
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder where the person has difficulty in forming blood clots. Around the world, 40,000 people approximately have been diagnosed with this.
‘World Hemophilia Day’ had been first celebrated in 1989 and the tradition goes on. The day is marked to spread awareness of the diagnosis and also attract public towards this issue to make them aware about the same.
Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that concerns with bleeding. People who have the tendency to bleed longer than usual are said to be having Hemophilia. For instance, upon suffering a cut, clotting in the blood combines with blood cells which make the blood sticky thus stopping the bleeding but for those suffering from Hemophilia, this doesn’t happen. This disease comes in two forms, Hemophilia A and B. Type A is more common as compared to B in which the sufferer does not have enough clotting factor VIII. On the other hand, Type B is rare where the sufferer does not have enough clotting factor IX. The type of Hemophilia can be detected by the level of clotting factors in the blood.
Talking about its symptoms, they vary from mild, moderate to severe. But the most important symptom being, continuous bleeding for long and also bleeding happening spontaneously. For those having mild one, their clotting factor varies between 5-50% of the normal amount. Children having mild hemophilia may not show symptoms for years and the condition comes to fore only after a surgery or a wound. Moderate ones have 1-5% normal amount of clotting. These tend to bruise easily and show symptoms of internal bleeding around their joints after they fall down. Lastly, severe ones have less than 1% of the normal amount. Symptoms for them are similar to moderate suffers but joint bleeding more frequent and severe. Children who come under severe sufferers generally have random bleeding without any reason.
Coming to its cure, there is still no cure to the disease. But there have been advancements in the genetic clotting factor medications that have been designed to prevent and treat continuous bleeding. They are injected through injections into the patients. Irregular ones are given to mils sufferers and regular ones to severe sufferers.
On 17th April 2015, World Hemophilia Day, Hemophilia Federation (India) in partnership with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India celebrated Baxter supported event on hemophilia sensitization at India Habitat Centre, Silver Oak Hall, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.The program was titled as “Initiative on Hemophilia Care-a sensitization program and the way forward”. The objective was to update all decision makers in the state and national level about the disorder and the sufferings of the hemophiliac community.
