Patients around East Africa community especially from Kenya and Tanzania with blood disorders will be supported to get rapid access to care following the recently launched Accelerating Access to Blood Disorders Care in Kenya and Tanzania Project.
The joint project is a collaboration of Kenya Hemophilia Association (KHA), Novo Nordisk Hemophilia Foundation (NNHF), Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF), Sickle cell Federation Kenya and Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania.
Since the partnership commenced an estimate total of 10000 patients with Hemophilia condition both in Kenya and Tanzania have benefited with another estimate of 1400 patients suffering from Sickle Cell have benefitted from support from the program.
Hemophilia is an inherited disorder in which the blood does not clot due to insufficient clotting factors. This causes unexplained bleeding, pain, swelling or tightness in joints, blood in urine or stool, and nose bleeds.
Both Sickle Cell and Haemophilia are blood disorders that effect the human body, it’s researched that Sickle cell is a haemotological disorder that is inherical and both male and female are likely to have it In a normal family set up.
The program has brought together medical Practitioners from both Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia under proper coordinators by Head of Hemophilia Association Kenya Dr Kibet and his counterpart from Tanzania Dr Stella Rwezaula president of the Hemophilia Association in Tanzania.
“We have made tremendous effort on the exchange program since it started,more than 30 diagnosis centers have been established both at the two countries and we are learning on Tanzania managed to have blood disorder patients with special identification cards and passports.” Dr Kibet.
Globally there are 20 million blood disorder patients with 300,000 being children the number according to Tanzania’s Muhimbili National hospital CEO Prof Mohammed Janabi is manageable.
That is if the program spreads to other nations and care givers are trained together with offering community sensitization so that people will come out and speak about the condition.
As it happens this is deemed as the World Health Organization’s number one cause of death worldwide that is cardiovascular disorder.
Dr Stella Rwezaula president of Haemophilia society in Tanzania told the Tanzania Times the mileage of the program with the two-member state including lobbying for allocation of budget by the ministry.
Creation of registry centers for patients with blood disorders and offering free diagnosis to patients despite the cost implications that come along with sickle cell, Hemophilia A & B and Thalassemia.
“We are happy today to see more state joining this noble idea of making and ensuring that no patient will succumb following blood disorder condition, with a kitty of 1.4 million dollars we have been able to impact, partnered and enhance policy change on Kenya and Tanzania when matters of Hemophilia and other blood disorders arise”
Sarah Motka Novo Nordisk Hemophilia Foundation.
This conference is focusing on supporting rapid access to care for people with hemophilia and will also benefit people with sickle cell disease.
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