World Hemophilia Day is seen every year on 17 April to pay attention to hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. The day honors WFH founder Frank Schnabel’s birthday. This year’s theme for World Hemophilia Day is “access to all: women and girls also shed blood”. This article explains the subject, support and awareness and the history of this day in detail.
World Hemophilia Day 2025 Theme
Every year, World Hemophilia Day has a different subject. The theme for the year 2025 “access to all: Women and girls are also bleeding” with bleeding disorders, emphasizing the need for better diagnosis and treatment for women and girls, which often remain underdinated and underscribed. The subject was selected to promote early recognition, accurate diagnosis, effective treatment and compassionate care, so that the quality of life could be increased for the affected people and strengthening the bleeding disorder community.
What is hemophilia?
Hemophilia is a rare genetic hemorrhage disorder in which blood does not occur properly due to lack of some clots factors. This condition can cause prolonged bleeding after injuries, surgery, or even spontaneous internal bleeding, especially in joints and muscles. Hemophilia is usually inherited and mainly affects men, while women are often carriers, initial diagnosis and proper treatment are necessary to manage symptoms and prevent serious health complications. Hemophilia clot factors are caused by specific mutation or deficiencies, causing excessive bleeding from minor injuries. Below are the main types of hemophilia and their causes.
- Hemophilia a: Results from mutation in F8 gene, which is responsible for the production of clot factor VIII.
- Hemophilia B: F9 is caused by mutation in genes, which affects the production of clotting factor IX.
- Hemophilia c: Due to the decrease in the factor XI, it is found on an autosome, making it a rare form of hemophilia.
Where did the name come from?
The word “hemophilia” comes from “hemorrhaphylia”, which Dr. Shonlin and his student Frederick Hopf have been introduced at the University of Zurich.
Symptoms and health risk of hemophilia
People with hemophilia may face various symptoms, such as prolonged bleeding, joint pain, inflammation and potential bone related problems. In uncontrolled cases, especially with mild hemophilia, even minor injuries or surgical processes can result in severe internal bleeding, leading to deadly risk.
Royal relationship of hemophilia
Hemophilia attracted attention in the 19th century when Queen Victoria of England was identified as a carrier of Hemophilia B. He passed the situation to many descendants, nicknamed Hemophilia “royal disease”.
Hemophilia in women and girls: major statistics and insights
Women and girls with hemorrhage disorders, including hemophilia, face unique challenges that are often unfamiliar. Historically, Hemophilia is considered a male-prone position, causing delays in underdiagnosis and delayed treatment for women. As a result, many women and girls experience prolonged bleeding episodes, wrong diagnosis and insufficient care. Below is some major statistics and insight related to World Hemophilia Day:
- Underdiagnosis and misunderstanding: Historically, women were often labeled only as a carrier of hemophilia, causing underadiagnosis and delayed treatment. This misunderstanding has contributed to inadequate care for many women and girls for bleeding disorders.
- Work in light cases: About 20% of the people suffering from light hemophilia are women, indicating that hemophilia is more common in women than before thought.
- Severe and medium hemophilia: Women with severe or medium hemophilia are rare, including more than just 1% of less than 0.5% in cases, even in special treatment centers.
- Global Identification Difference: Only 100,000 women and girls worldwide have been identified with hemophilia, von Vilebrand disease, or other bleeding disorders, suggesting that many are more unmarried.
- Unique health challenges: Women with hemophilia face additional health challenges related to menstruation, pregnancy and delivery, which can complicate their condition and require special care.
World Hemophilia Day 2025 History
World Hemophilia Day was established in 1989 by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) to raise awareness about Hemophilia and other hemorrhage disorders. On April 17, WFH founder was chosen as an official date to honor the birthday of Frank Schnebel, who played an important role in advocating better care, support and treatment for individuals affected by these conditions.
World Hemophilia Day 2025 Support and Awareness
To support the reason about World Hemophilia Day and to increase awareness, individuals and communities can engage in various activities:
- Tell your story: Share your personal journey or a loved one with bleeding disorder on social media to make others look and feel support.
- Dress to support: Wear red on 17 April to show your solidarity and help start interacting about hemophilia and related situations.
- spread the word: Learn about how bleeding disorders affect women and girls, and share this information to raise awareness in their community.
- Speak for others: Contact government representatives to support awareness about better diagnosis, treatment and bleeding disorders.
- make a difference: Contribute to programs aimed at improving the care of women and girls with fund research, scholarship and bleeding disorder in organizations such as the National Bleeding Disorder Foundation (NBDF).
