In this edition, we will discuss hemophilia, a rare condition that affects the blood’s ability to clot. It is usually inherited and most people who have it are male.
Normally, when you cut yourself, a clot forms and this makes the bleeding stop eventually, but this is not the same for people with hemophilia as they tend to bleed for longer than usual.
The symptoms of hemophilia can be mild to severe, sufferers may have nosebleeds that take a long time to stop, bleeding from wounds that last a long time, bleeding gums, skin that bruises easily, pain and stiffness around joints, such as elbows, because of internal bleeding.
According to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), there are an estimated 815,100 cases of hemophilia worldwide, of which only 347,026 are diagnosed, with 276,900 cases being severe hemophilia. Thus, it is generally underdiagnosed, especially in developing countries, where resources available for diagnosis and care are very restricted.
Africa has fewer than 3% of cases, but with little testing available, and a lack of awareness of the condition, the figure could be higher.
Worse still, only 2% of those who are diagnosed receive treatment, making it one of the most ignored conditions on the continent.