Medics working with Haemophilia Foundation Uganda (HFU) want government to venture into ensuring that baby screening of blood disorders is done in health facilities so as to prevent possible complications. Addressing journalists in Kampala, the medics working with Haemophilia Foundation Uganda (HFU) expressed concern that currently, 98 percent of patients with bleeding disorders in the country are not diagnosed and that a big number of Uganda’s population may be suffering from conditions like haemophilia.According to a physiotherapist with HFU at Mulago referral hospital Annette Grace Nakalyango, haemophilia is failure of blood to clot in case of a cut or prick on the body. Nakalyango says that early childhood detection of bleeding disorders like haemophilia enables medics to administer prophylaxis to prevent risks and enhance patients’ chances to participate in activities like games and sports which would otherwise make it difficult for those patients to take part since they expose them to injuries.
Also HFU project coordinator Agnes Mavis Kisakye argues that failure to detect such disorders at an early stage exposes many people to associated risks like circumcision and accidents leading to injuries. Kisakye says if detected early preventive measures against haemophilia risks can help patients take into account their inability to engage in particular activities so as to avoid endangering their health.
While Nakalyango and Kisakye express the need to ensure continuous identification and diagnosis of haemophilia patients, they are also concerned that the supply of reagents that are used in diagnosis remains a challenge. They say that the haemophilia center at Mulago hospital is still wanting and may deter access to the condition’s diagnosis and extension of services to patients.
Haemophilia Foundation Uganda is an NGO comprising of medical workers, patients, and well- wishers established to help persons with bleeding disorders to access care and other support services.