The Hill News

Today, tens of thousands of families across our nation and around the world are celebrating World Hemophilia Day to raise awareness of bleeding disorders and focuses attention on the importance of comprehensive health care.

Bleeding disorders are a group of conditions in which there is a problem with the body’s blood clotting process. These disorders can lead to heavy and prolonged bleeding, either spontaneously or after an injury. Individuals with bleeding disorders lead productive lives with regular and ongoing access to needed treatments, therapies and specialized medical professionals.

Hemophilia and von Willebrand Disease (vWD) are two of the most common types of bleeding disorders and are lifelong, genetic illnesses in which one of the proteins needed to form blood clots is missing or reduced. Currently, there is no cure, and medication needed to treat the disorders typically costs around $300,000 annually per person.

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