Hemophilia Day marked with call for awareness, treatment

KARACHI: World Hemophilia Day was observed the world over to highlight the need to make global efforts to ensure appropriate care and treatment for the oldest known genetic bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in the genes.

Dr. Agha Umer Daraz Khan, Advisor at the Hemophilia Welfare Society, mentioned the rising prevalence of hemophilia, a relatively lesser-known blood disorder, which has afflicted over 30,000 individuals in Pakistan.

He says that hemophilia is typically inherited from an affected father to a daughter, who then becomes a carrier of the hemophilia cells, thus increasing the risk of passing on the defective gene to her offspring.

The incidence of this disease is rapidly rising worldwide, with approximately 29 out of every 100,000 individuals at risk of being affected, Dr. Khan warns.

He also mentioned the exorbitant cost of treating this disease, which can range from Rs300,000 to Rs1,700,000 per month depending on the patient's age and weight.