World Hemophilia Day: Celebrating 20 years of awareness raising
Since 1989, patient groups and treatment centres have been coming together on April 17 to celebrate World Hemophilia Day. April 17 was chosen in honour of WFH founder Frank Schnabel, who was born on that day. Over the last 20 years, World Hemophilia Day has become a unique opportunity for all our partners to work together to increase awareness about bleeding disorders, in particular hemophilia.
The theme for World Hemophilia Day 2009 is “Together, we care,” which emphasizes the importance of comprehensive care in hemophilia health care delivery.
“Hemophilia affects many aspects of a person’s health,” said Dr. Alison Street, WFH vice president medical. “Meeting the diverse needs of these patients is best done through a multidisciplinary approach where hematologists, nurses, orthopedists, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, dentists, and other caregivers come together in specialized care teams to look after each patient’s needs in one place.”
We invite all patient societies, chapters, hemophilia treatment centres and our partners to get involved in World Hemophilia Day this year. And we have many tools to help you, including template press releases, posters, fact sheets, and ideas for activities. These materials will be available January 17.
For more information, please contact WFH communications manager Sarah Ford at sford@wfh.org.
20 reasons to participate in World Hemophilia Day
this year:
- Raise awareness of bleeding disorders in your community.
- Support your patient group or local chapter.
- Educate new patients and their families.
- Lobby government officials about improving care for people with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
- Attract more volunteers to your cause.
- Raise funds to support your activities.
- Get more attention for your event.
- Provide an interesting angle to get the media’s attention.
- Participate in our global caring community.
- Support your hemophilia treatment centre and comprehensive care team.
- Highlight the importance of proper care for people with bleeding disorders.
- Help protect comprehensive care in areas where it is successful.
- Educate the next generation: talk to youth about what it was like before comprehensive care and safe, effective treatment were available.
- Thank your comprehensive care team.
- Spread the word about the global needs for people with bleeding disorders in developing countries.
- Support the WFH and its vision of Treatment for All.
- Adapt the World Hemophilia Day theme to further your own needs.
- Inform key audiences of the importance of coordinated multidisciplinary healthcare programs for people with inherited bleeding disorders.
- Broaden attention beyond your own community to the general public.
- Celebrate 20 years of World Hemophilia Day.
World Hemophilia Day Backgrounder
World Hemophilia Day 2008
Last Updated December 2008 |
