World Hemophilia Day

World Hemophilia Day is a world day dedicated to the fight against hemophilia. It is designed to raise people’s awareness about the disease, to tell them about treatment methods. It is celebrated annually on April 17.

History

The history of World Hemophilia Day began in 1989. The initiative to establish this day came from the World Hemophilia Federation.

Hemophilia is a disease characterized by a low number of proteins in the blood that are responsible for blood clotting. As a result, even the slightest injury can lead to severe bleeding, which is very difficult to stop. It is quite rare and yet it is hereditary.

The first mention of hemophilia dates back to the 10th century AD. Doctors began to pay more attention to men who began to bleed heavily, even from small wounds. The disease was then known as abulcasis. The level of medicine did not allow for a complete examination and identification of the true causes. There is historical evidence that many of the sick were among the relatives of kings. Therapy was pointless: aspirin, which had an antithrombotic effect, was used.

In 1803, the Philadelphia physician D. C. Otto identified the genetic nature of the disease. Hemophilia was gradually studied, and in 1957 it was determined that it is provoked by a deficiency of proteins responsible for blood clotting.

Today there is no cure for the disease. A person needs to be constantly injected with clotting factors to keep the blood thick.

Interesting facts

• Only men suffer from hemophilia; women are only carriers of the gene and do not get the disease themselves.
• The disease is usually classified by the letters A and B, depending on the missing blood factor.
• Despite the masculine nature of the disease, in the history of medicine there have been 60 cases of hemophilia diagnosed in girls. However, this is due to gene mutations in the body.

How to celebrate

Explore more details about the disease that day. Participate in fundraisers to raise the amount of money you need to treat people in need.

Tell about this day in social networks. Ask users if they or someone they know has hemophilia. How are they coping with the disease and living?

When World Hemophilia Day celebrated in 2024?

World Hemophilia Day is observed on April 17 each year.

Observations