Haemophilia: A Bleeding Disorder Requiring Urgent Attention

Nigerians living with inherited bleeding disorder also known as Haemophilia are in large numbers with many undiagnosed which is a source of concern to many.

That is why the Haemophilia Foundation of Nigeria (HFN) has taken it upon them to carry out necessary awareness and sensitisation.

The Foundation recently called on the Federal Government to prioritise the welfare of Nigerians by supporting access to diagnosis and treatment of the disease, waiving import duties on haemophilia drugs, donated by global partners and distributed free of charge to patients in Nigeria.

Speaking in an awareness programme in Kaduna as part of activities marking the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, the executive director and founder of the Foundation, Mrs Megan Buckie Adediran, said although an estimated 24,500 Nigerians live with haemophilia, only about 879 have been formally diagnosed.

“This year’s anniversary aligns with the global theme of World Haemophilia Day: Access for All – Women and Girls Bleed Too,” Adediran said.

“It draws attention to the overlooked reality that women and girls also suffer from bleeding disorders but are often misdiagnosed or neglected.”

She said bleeding disorders in women were particularly dangerous during childbirth, noting that postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) remains a major cause of maternal deaths in Nigeria.

Citing data from the Federal Ministry of Health, she said nearly 57,000 women died from childbirth-related complications in 2023, with PPH accounting for 22 per cent of the fatalities.

Adediran said cultural myths and lack of awareness continue to hinder efforts to tackle the condition.

She appealed to the Federal Government to include haemophilia treatment in national health priorities by ensuring the availability of clotting factor medication in government hospitals.

” A person with Haemophilia is missing in clothing protein called factor, bleeds longer not faster, the disease is not contagious, it has treatment but no cure”.

Mrs Adeniran disclosed that the foundation has attended to no fewer than. 878 patients since inception of the foundation.

Victor Ogochukwu, who lost a sibling to the condition, said meeting the Foundation’s founder changed his life.

Timothy Adediran, who had undergone eight blood transfusions before age 10 and now 29 years old said, support from the Foundation helped him regain stability.

For Adamu Idris, he said, access to ‘Factor’ — the clotting medication — has allowed him to live a more normal and productive life and he recently got married.