World Hemophilia Day 2021: Here’s everything you need to know about this day

Consistently, April 17 is seen as World Hemophilia Day. It is a international awareness day for hemophilia (additionally spelled as haemophilia) and other bleeding disorders and furthermore denotes the birth anniversary of Frank Schnabel, the founder of the World Federation of Hemophilia. Because of the Covid pandemic, this year every one of the activities and programmes will be held for all intents and purposes. The day has been set apart since 1989 and a few communities come together to celebrate the continuous advances in treatment while raising awareness and bringing understanding and attention to the issues identified with legitimate consideration to the wider public.

What is Hemophilia?

Hemophilia is normally an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn’t clot properly. This can prompt spontaneous bleeding as well as bleeding following injuries or surgery. Blood contains numerous proteins called clotting factors that can assist with stop bleeding. Individuals with hemophilia have low levels of either factor VIII (8) or factor IX (9). The severity of hemophilia that an individual has is determined by the measure of factor in the blood. The lower the measure of the factor, the almost certain it is that bleeding will happen which can prompt serious health problems.

Theme of World Hemophilia Day 2021:

The theme for the year 2021 World Hemophilia Day is ‘Adapting to Change, sustaining care in a new world.’ This theme has been chosen considering the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is major impact on individuals with a bleeding disorder and is it significant for the world to stand together in this changing scenario.

Cesar Garrido, President of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) said “The COVID-19 pandemic has made life challenging for people with a bleeding disorder—but we can’t stop striving for Treatment for All. World Hemophilia Day is a platform for showing the world that our community is resilient and we will overcome this new challenge as we have overcome other challenges in the past.”

History and Importance of World Hemophilia Day:

The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) began celebrating the day in 1989 and picked April 17 to celebrate it in honour of the founder of WFH Frank Schnabel. Hemophilia was found in the 10th century and was discovered mostly in males. The disease was then known as Abulcasis. In the year 1937, haemophilia genetic disorder was divided into two types namely A and B, in any case, no proper treatment was found till that time.

At that point, it was chosen to raise awareness about the disease among individuals and cause them to understand the need to give the right attention to this serious health issue. In 1963, the WFM was set up to improve treatment and care for all the hemophiliac patients.

The WFH needs the majority to be aware and ensure that everybody celebrates the huge day in a manner that is sensitive to the risks of the current global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. April 17, 2021, is the 31st anniversary of World Hemophilia Day. The strength of this celebration is evidence of the dedication and committed nature of the community.

How is World Hemophilia Day celebrated?

People all around the globe celebrate this day by organizing conferences, workshops, and events to spread awareness about hemophilia and its treatment modalities. Additionally, festivity activities include lighting up the global landmarks in red.