Every year on 17 April World Haemophilia Day is recognised worldwide to increase awareness of haemophilia, von Willebrand disease and other inherited bleeding disorders. This is a critical effort since with increased awareness comes better diagnosis and access to care for the millions who remain without treatment.
World Haemophilia Day was started in 1989 by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), which chose 17 April as the day to bring the community together in honour of WFH founder Frank Schnabel’s birthday.
The 2024 international theme is “Equitable access for all: recognizing all bleeding disorders”
View the HFA World Haemophilia Day 2024 event page
The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) vision of Treatment for All is for a world where all people with inherited bleeding disorders have access to care, regardless of their type of bleeding disorder, gender, age, or where they live.  This April, let’s celebrate our community and continue working towards a world where everyone—with hemophilia A or B, von Willebrand disease (VWD) or any other bleeding disorder—has access to diagnosis, treatment, and comprehensive care. Â
Did you know, WFH estimates that over 75% of people living with haemophilia worldwide have not yet been identified and diagnosed. Â
The World Federation of Hemophilia, with the support of volunteers from around the world, does remarkable work to improve access to diagnosis, treatment, care and support for people with bleeding disorders.
Haemophilia Foundation Australia is a WFH member organisation and many Australian volunteers have been involved with WFH programs. HFA has supported many programs over the years and participated in the WFH Twinning Program and various committees that work to achieve the objectives of WFH.
In Australia, our community is fortunate to have access to a range of treatments, care and services. During recent times, some new haemophilia therapies available in Australia have led to fewer or no bleeds and greatly improved the quality of life of those who have been able to use them. We look forward to more novel therapies in the future for everyone.