Developing hemophilia services in India.

ABSTRACT

With a population of 853 million there should be 51,204 patients with hemophilia A in India assuming a prevalence of 6/100,000 population. With the current birth rate of 32/1000, 1,300 new patients with hemophilia A will be born each year. Hospital based data suggests that hemophiliacs in India suffer from preventable morbidity because doctors do not know enough about the disease and its management, because laboratory diagnostic facilities are inadequate and because there is not enough therapeutic material or even if it is available the patients do not have the resources to purchase it. This article reviews the current status of hemophilia in India and suggests measures to improve hemophilia services within the health care infrastructure available in the country.