April 17 is World and National Hemophilia Day

April 7, 2018 Community Billboard

BAGUIO CITY – The local health department appeals anew for increased awareness, specifically in the testing and screening for Hemophilia.
“The bottom line is screening and advocacy. For hemophilia, ordinary nose bleeding and bruises may be signs of such disorder, so early consultation is necessary,” said Medical Specialist Dr. Jasmine Igama of Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC)-Department of Internal Medicine as she discussed the upcoming World and National Hemophilia Day on April 17.
Hemophilia is a lifelong hereditary condition characterized by excessive and spontaneous bleeding and partial or total lack of an essential blood clotting. It is a sex-linked recessive disorder wherein an affected father or a male carrier with a normal partner will produce hemophiliac daughters and normal sons. On the other hand, 50% of all the daughters and sons of an affected mother or a female carrier with a normal partner will unfortunately inherit hemophilia.
According to Dr. Igama, the need to intensify the advocacy is due to the data that there are only 1,200 individuals registered in the Hemophilia Association of the Philippines for Love and Service (Haplos) Foundation Inc. compared to the supposed 10,000 hemophilia incidence in the country. The fact that the disorder can hardly be recognized because of its very common symptoms, adds to it.
Further, the doctor informed that there is also no medicine reported for its treatment and health practitioners only depend on blood transfusion to treat their patients. The good thing is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading national public health institute in the United States of America, is currently developing a recombinant technology in the hope to replace blood transfusion as treatment for hemophilia.
Despite the truth that Hemophilia cannot be prevented, Dr. Igama said that what health practitioners should do is to reach out to the public, inform them about the bleeding disorder and encourage them to get screened. DOH-CAR Press Release / ABN