Haemophilia, Fastest Killer Of Young Males – Expert

Haemophilia, though not common is one of the diseases that kills young males faster than any other disease.

The disease, a bleeding disorder, is capable of causing sufferers to bleed excessively sometimes leading to death.

Dr. Stanley Okechukwu, a Port Harcourt-based medical doctor, in a chat with The Tide  said Haemophilia is a genetically transmitted disease expressed as X-linked receive gene, which leads to a deficiency in blood clotting factor called anti haemophilia (factor  Viii).

Dr Okechukwu said, haemophilia is predominately a male disease, explaining that a haemophilic man may not have haemophilic sons, only the daughters would be carriers who inturn pass it on to their sons, making the disease a sex-linked inheritance disorder.

According to him, though the disease is not common with one to 2000 ration in a population, it is difficult and costly to treat.

He further explained that haemophiliacs lack factor Viii, which is present in the plasma of non-sufferers of the disease.

“The plasma is got from non-haemophiliacs and given to haemophiliacs to stop bleeding”.

Unfortunately, according to reports published by World Federation of Haemophilia, only 25 per cent of people living with the disorder worldwide, get adequate care and support, and Nigeria, sadly, falls  into the 75 per cent that do not provide adequate care and support for such children, who rarely attain adulthood.

He noted that though the disorder can be diagnosed before birth through amniocentesis, it is often times first detected during circumcision.

To prevent bleeding, he advised sufferers to maintain good oral hygiene, avoid injuries and present all cuts for quick medical intervention.

Furthermore, Okechukwu said, like HIV/AIDs, malaria and other health issues, haemophilia deserves to be given massive attention as it kills faster than AIDs and malaria, and appealed to government to help provide adequate care for haemophiliacs.

Tonye Nria-Dappa