Times of India
19 April 2010
Bangalore, India

Only 12 Per Cent Cases Get Diagnosed In India
World Haemophilia Day
One lakh people in India suffer from haemophilia, the blood disorder that is rapidly spreading across the globe. Creating awareness about the disorder has also picked up momentum. Every year, April 17 is observed as World Haemophilia Day. This year, the 21st time it was observed, focused on the various aspects of the disorder including the challenges patients face.

Novo Nordisk, an organization dedicated to changing possibilities for people with haemophilia, along with World Federation of Haemophilia, organized a slew of activities across the country on Saturday.

Free screening was held at K C General Hospital, Malleswaram from 11 am to 1 pm. ‘Haemophilia balloons’ were released as part of the global campaign to create awareness about the disease. A post card was attached to every balloon with information about World Haemophilia Day.

The person who gets the balloon can fill in the details and send it to Novo Nordisk and win attractive prizes. Funds were also raised by putting up signature boards and selling balloons and children’s books. The money will support haemophilia awareness project in India driven by the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation.

What is it?
Haemophilia is a blood–clotting disorder. Internal bleeding to the joints, muscles and other tissues can cause severe pain, joint damage and disability. India is home to 1,00,000 people who suffer from it although only about 13,000 are registered with Haemophilia Federation of India. Many cases remain undiagnosed for various reasons including expensive treatment and lack of awareness among doctors. The percentage of those diagnosed is as low as 12 per cent in India.