GAVIN FINKELSTEIN
President, Haemophilia Foundation Australia
As we head into spring, we have a lot happening, with both Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month and the Australian Bleeding Disorders Conference.
You will read an update in this issue of National Haemophilia about our current work in the hepatitis C space. Hepatitis C has had an immense impact on the bleeding disorders community. You may be aware of our survey for people affected by hepatitis C earlier this year and some of you have been asking about our findings. We have reported on the survey results about current needs and priorities and our steps in pursuing this with government. At the same time, we need to remain active on the health of our community affected by hepatitis C, even if they have been cured, and I invite you to share the key messages in our World Hepatitis Day campaign with family, friends and your wider connections.
In August 2025, Executive Director, Natashia Coco, and HFNSW President, Dan Credazzi visited the Cambodia Hemophilia Association (CHA) in Phnom Penh to conduct an assessment for a potential World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Twinning starting 2026, together with Hazri Aris, WFH Regional Manager – South East Asia & Western Pacific. We met the local haemophilia foundation committee and visited the Haemophilia Treatment Centre in Phnom Penh to gauge how HFA can help CHA and develop a year 1 plan. This was funded by WFH.
The WFH Twinning programs enable established and emerging haemophilia organisations and Haemophilia Treatment Centres around the world to share their knowledge and help to improve treatment and care.
We look forward to a formal announcement at the end of the year.
The Conference will take place on 16-18 October 2025 and I look forward to seeing some familiar and new faces there. The program has been released. Take a look – you will find it as an insert in this edition of National Haemophilia and it’s also available online. I’m amazed at the range of topics that will be covered and the really innovative approaches in the sessions. Some great international and Australian speakers will be presenting. I expect there will be some robust discussions!
Our conference is a time when community, health professionals and other stakeholders come together and have open forums on where we are going in the future. I encourage you to consider coming to Brisbane and being part of it.
It’s also an opportunity for young people to connect and have some fun together as well as participating in the Conference program. Alan Dursun, who recently attended the WFH Youth Leadership training and Ben Inglis from Victoria will run the youth program, starting on Thursday afternoon with rock climbing at Kangaroo Point.
See the HFA website for more information.
You might have seen on our website and communications that HFA has a new, inclusive logo! Designed as an evolution on our previous logo, the new logo sports the same look and feel but with a brand new tagline: For all bleeding disorders.
It was important for us at HFA to demonstrate that we recognise – and represent – people with all bleeding disorders. Haemophilia is and always will be a big part of who we are, but we are also a community that includes other bleeding disorders– from the not-so-rare, such as von Willebrand disease (VWD), to the exceedingly rare, like Glanzmann thrombasthenia. Highlighting this in our logo is a way of being proud of our diverse community and encouraging connection and support.
With so much happening and changing very quickly, it’s important to stay up to date with what’s new. You can register for the HFA e-newsletter by signing up online. This will give you the latest news about bleeding disorders and HFA activities, with updates on events.
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