In the context of the World Hemophilia Day observed annually on 17 April, a ceremony was organised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the Hemophilia Association of Mauritius, yesterday, at the Gold Crest Hotel in Quatre Bornes to mark the day.

The Day is a call to action for the community to spread awareness on blood disorders and advocate with local policy makers for improved access to treatment and care with an emphasis on better control and prevention of bleeds for all people with bleeding disorders.

Hemophilia is a rare disease characterised by the inability of the blood to clot properly due to a deficiency in specific clotting factors, resulting in prolonged bleeding that can be life-threatening in certain cases.

The theme retained for this year is "Access for All: Prevention of bleeds as the global standard of care".

Statistics show that hemophilia A occurs in 1 out of 5,000 male births and about 400 babies are born with the disorder annually. Additionally, an estimated 400,000 people around the world have hemophilia. About 75% of these people are unable to access adequate treatment or have no access to treatment completely. While there is no cure for this bleeding disorder, there are very effective treatment options available.