Hemophilia patients await preventive care

Patients with hemophilia, many of them children, are awaiting access to preventive treatment in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, as families call on the provincial government to take urgent steps to ensure the availability of prophylaxis.

Medical practitioners say hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly, resulting in prolonged bleeding after injuries and potentially life-threatening complications. Prophylaxis is preventive treatment that helps reduce bleeding episodes, protect joints from permanent damage, and improve patients' quality of life.

In Pakistan, an estimated 25,000 individuals live with bleeding disorders, based on statistical projections, according to Hemophilia Foundation of Pakistan. The condition predominantly affects males, but fewer than 10 percent of patients are registered with specialised treatment facilities.

The high cost of treatment remains a major challenge, as hemophilia requires lifelong care. With patients often having a normal life expectancy, the financial burden of long-term treatment can be difficult for families to sustain.

Meanwhile, the governments of Sindh and Balochistan are providing prophylaxis treatment to patients with hemophilia through public sector facilities, provincial healthcare initiatives, and patient advocacy organizations, highlighting the importance of timely government support for people living with this condition.