April 17th is the annual World Hemophilia Day. This year’s theme is “Access for All: Prevention of Bleeds as the global standard of Care”.
Hemophilia is a rare genetic condition, in which blood cannot clot properly because it lacks adequate blood-clotting proteins.
World Hemophilia Day is celebrated globally to improve diagnosis and access to specialized treatment.
The goal of World Hemophilia Day is to bring individuals with bleeding disorders from all over the world together and help raise awareness to give them a better future.
The illness is passed down genetically and is highly unusual for women to be born with it. It mainly affects men.
Some symptoms include prolonged bleeding after minor injuries, frequent nosebleeds, joint pain and swelling from repeated bleeding into joints, and blood in urine and stool.
Though no treatment for hemophilia has been discovered yet, one can manage the disease by regularly injecting clotting factors to minimize spontaneous bleeding episodes.
According to the University of Nairobi to celebrate this day, Dr. Kibet and Dr. Okinyi organized an event in partnership with Kenya Haemophilia Association, Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation, and Novo Nordisk Foundation to open two Haemophilia and Sickle Cell clinics in Kakamega and Laikipia.
Both clinics have well-trained doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists, and 100 healthcare workers were sensitized to hemophilia and sickle cell disease.
BY NKATHA WAINAINA