MONTREAL, April 17, 2024 -- On April 17, 2024, the global bleeding disorders community will come together to celebrate World Hemophilia Day. The theme of the event this year is "Equitable access for all: recognizing all bleeding disorders". The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) vision of Treatment for All is for a world where all people with inherited bleeding disorders have access to care, regardless of their type of bleeding disorder, gender, age, or where they live. This April, let's celebrate our community and continue working towards a world where everyone—with hemophilia A or B, von Willebrand disease (VWD) or any other bleeding disorder—has access to diagnosis, treatment, and comprehensive care.

"At one time, when one said, 'bleeding disorder', people heard 'male with hemophilia'. In the last few years, the world has started seeing that a bleeding disorder means much more. It's hemophilia A and B, von Willebrand disease (VWD), and other conditions. It's men, boys, women and girls. It's the parents and the friends who support the person with a bleeding disorder. In short, 'bleeding disorder' means community—a community that deserves recognition, and one that needs our support. Please join us on April 17 to show the world that you care about equitable access for all."

—Cesar Garrido, WFH President

There are many ways you can bring attention to hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders in your local and global community to raise awareness of the need for inclusion in national policy. Whether you are a person with a bleeding disorder, a national member organization (NMO), or a healthcare professional, here are just a few things you can do to get started:

• Contact your NMO to find out how you and other NMO members can work together on World Hemophilia Day
• Participate in the World Hemophilia Day Light it Up Red! campaign. Last year, thousands of people worldwide showed their support by lighting up over 150 landmarks red in cities across the world
• Advocate locally using WFH World Hemophilia Day materials—including our letter template—and educate elected officials and health ministers
• Support our global advocacy efforts and be a part of what we are building today for future generations by donating here
• Share your story about how your quality of life—or the quality of life of someone you know—has changed thanks to receiving home-based treatment or prophylactic treatment on wfh.org/whd
• Get social by posting about inherited bleeding disorders on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn using the #WorldHemophiliaDay, #WHD2024, and #LightItUpRed hashtags
• Download resources like posters and social media banners from wfh.org/whd to help build your World Hemophilia Day Campaign
• Organize a community event, webinar, forum, or town hall and invite elected officials to learn more about your work first-hand and to meet with the community
• Take action locally and use WFH World Hemophilia Day materials to send a letter to your local policymakers, set up meetings with elected officials and health ministers and engage with the local media
• Send pictures, comments, or questions to the WFH at communications@wfh.org

To learn more about World Hemophilia Day, please visit wfh.org/world-hemophilia-day.

The WFH would like to thank our 2024 World Hemophilia Day sponsors for their continued support: Bayer, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Biotest, CSL Behring, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., GC Pharma, Grifols, Kedrion, LFB S.A, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Sanofi, Sobi, Spark Therapeutics, and Takeda.

In people with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia A or B, or von Willebrand disease (VWD), the blood clotting process doesn't work properly, with the result that they can bleed for longer than normal, and some people may experience spontaneous bleeding into joints, muscles, or other parts of their bodies which can lead to developmental and permanent mobility issues.

The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving and sustaining care for people with inherited bleeding disorders around the world. We work in partnership with healthcare providers (HCPs), governments, and our global network of national member organizations (NMOs) in 147 countries. We provide our NMOs and healthcare providers with the knowledge and tools they need to identify, support and treat people living with bleeding disorders in their communities, while promoting global advocacy and collaboration to achieve our common goals.

Our vision of Treatment for All is for a world where all people with inherited bleeding disorders have access to care, regardless of their type of bleeding disorder, gender, age, or where they live. Our mission is to improve and sustain care for people with inherited bleeding disorders around the world.

To find out more about the WFH, please visit  www.wfh.org.

Media contact: Neha Suchak, Director, Marketing & Communications, nsuchak@wfh.org, +1 514-875-7944, #2857, www.wfh.org

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