World Hemophilia Day, coordinated each year on April 17 by the World Federation of Hemophilia, aims to raise awareness of hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders and their impact on the global community.
It is estimated that one in 100 Canadians carry an inherited bleeding disorder gene, and 1 in 10 of these, or 35,000 Canadians, have symptoms severe enough to require medical care. Approximately 3,000 Canadians are diagnosed with hemophilia A or B, and von Willebrand disease affects another 30,000 to 35,000 Canadians, though many remain undiagnosed.
Baxter joins the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) in marking World Hemophilia Day (WHD) by reaffirming its commitment to improving access to treatment and protecting standards of care for people living with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
Baxter is supporting the WFH to launch Advocacy in Action, an innovative, five-year initiative to assist people living with bleeding disorders to achieve and maintain access to care. The initiative is exclusively supported by a grant from Baxter, and supports this year’s WFH theme for World Hemophilia Day: “Be Inspired, Get Involved in Treatment for All.”
National Executive Director for the Canadian Hemophilia Society, David Page, said, “The top priority for our members in 2011 and in the years ahead is to maintain and even enhance access to optimal standards-based care across Canada. Advanced new clotting factor products are in development and it will be critical for physicians and patients to maintain the freedom to choose those products that are of the greatest benefit."
Thanks to treatment advances, the overall life expectancy for hemophilia patients in many parts of the developed world has increased to more than 60 years. However, significant disparities still exist -- 75 percent of patients worldwide still do not have access to appropriate care.
“Baxter is committed to supporting the Canadian hemophilia community through efforts that can help to improve and protect patient access to treatment and care, ultimately providing better patient outcomes,” said Serge Messerlian, Baxter Corporation, Business Unit Director, BioScience. “Patient-focused programs along with our robust research and development pipeline exhibit this steadfast commitment to patients and to the World Federation of Hemophilia’s mission of achieving treatment for all.”
- More information about the new Advocacy in Action initiative
- Please note: multimedia assets are available for use including a video message from Mark Skinner, the President of the World
Federation of Hemophilia and patient stories from across the world.
Please let me know if you are interested in further information.
Cheers
Heather
Heather MacDonnell
Communications Manager
Baxter Corporation
4 Robert Speck Parkway, Suite 700
Mississauga, ON L4Z 3Y4
T: 905.281.6398
F: 905.281.6353
heather_macdonnell@baxter.com