Egypt joins GAP
Egypt has officially signed the agreement for the WFH’s Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) in hemophilia project. Egyptian health ministry officials signed the GAP agreement in Cairo during a recent WFH visit to the Middle East.
WFH President Brian O’Mahony says Egypt was chosen because it met the project’s main criteria. “ Egypt has a government committed to the care and treatment of hemophilia, an established national hemophilia organization, the Egyptian Society of Hemophilia (ESH), and well-educated treaters,” he says. “As the biggest country in the Middle East, Egypt’s involvement in GAP will have benefits for the region.”
Thailand agrees to join GAP in 2004
Thailand has agreed to cooperate with the WFH as a GAP country in 2004 following a meeting in Bangkok involving representatives from the WFH, the Thai Hemophilia Society, the national government, and various medical and healthcare groups.
WFH launches new Quality Control Programs as part of GAP
The WFH launched two new quality control programs to improve diagnosis and medical attention for people with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders in developing countries.
The International External Quality Assessment Scheme (IEQAS), is designed to promote high standards in the testing and diagnosis of hemophilia by monitoring the performance of laboratories in different countries. A smaller version of IEQAS was started in 1993 and the WFH is now expanding the scheme. It will begin in earnest next year when the WFH sponsors registration for about 80 laboratories around the world.
The WFH is also standardizing the content and testing of training courses at all 31 International Hemophilia Treatment Centres (IHTCs) officially accredited by the WFH. IHTCs are medical centres committed to assisting other countries by providing specialized international training in hemophilia care and other bleeding disorders in accordance with WFH priorities.
Last Updated December 2003
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