The Mpumalanga Health Department will join the world to raise awareness about the disease which is called Haemophilia; April 17 has been marked as an official day on the health calendar to commemorate Haemophilia.
The department will embarking on a campaign to raise awareness on the 20th of April 2016, the campaign aimed to educate mothers about this rear condition it will start in Rob Ferreira Hospital.
Haemophilia is a group of inherited blood disorders in which the blood does not clot properly. Haemophilia disease is a Bleeding disorders that is due to defects in the blood vessels.
An affected individual may bleed spontaneously or for longer than a healthy person after injury or surgery.
Patients with Haemophilia have a genetic defect which results in a deficiency in one of the blood clotting factors which cause the blood not clot properly.
The common symptoms are externally excessive bleeding, it can be from a minor cut, bite, tooth loss, spontaneous nosebleeds. Internally excessive bleeding can be blood in the stool or urine, swollen, tightness joint pain.
MEC Gillion Mashego said “A person with haemophilia does not bleed harder or faster than normal, but will bleed for much longer. Other symptom are Bleeding into the muscles and joints which cause pain and later swelling in the area of the bleed,children with haemophilia bruise easily.
“Haemophilia is not a very common condition in the province. There are only 21 patients in the province with this rear condition. Members of the public who are suspecting to be having symptoms like that of Haemophilia should go to the nearest clinic for screening” said Mashego
