Adapting to change

sustaining care in a new world

World Hemophilia Day 2021

MONTRÉAL, April 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- April 17, 2021 is World Hemophilia Day. The theme of the event this year is "Adapting to change: sustaining care in a new world". This important event is about bringing the global bleeding disorders community together. With the COVID-19 pandemic having a major impact on people with a bleeding disorder, that objective has never been more important. Our community is made up of a great diversity of people—from patients and their families, to carers, physicians and researchers—each of whom has been affected by the pandemic in a different way. We need to continue providing support to these people now, and in the future once the pandemic has passed. The world has changed greatly over the last year, but one thing hasn't: we are still in this together, and we will always be stronger together as a community in our shared vision of "Treatment for All".

"The COVID-19 pandemic has made life challenging for people with a bleeding disorder—but we can't stop striving for Treatment for All. World Hemophilia Day is a platform for showing the world that our community is resilient and we will overcome this new challenge as we have overcome other challenges in the past."
— Cesar Garrido, WFH President

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means that we can't celebrate World Hemophilia Day in person this year. But, as we have all done for most of 2020, we can adapt to the present circumstances and show the community our solidarity in other ways. For example, people wishing to participate can submit a picture of themselves wearing something red on WFH social media pages. Or, they can share their story on worldhemophiliaday.org about their experience living or caring for someone with a bleeding disorder. Participants can also tell the community about how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And, as always, anyone can contact a local landmark to encourage them to "Light it up Red". There is a lot we can all do to celebrate World Hemophilia Day. The WFH encourages you to once again follow your local public health guidelines in order to engage with the community safely on World Hemophilia Day.