Damascus-SANA
Today, the Syrian Society for Hemophiliacs concluded its awareness campaign to define von Willebrand disease, its symptoms and detection mechanism, by holding a scientific symposium in cooperation with the World Federation of Hemophilia at the Damarose Hotel in Damascus.
Von Willebrand disease is a genetic disorder caused by the absence or defect of a protein coagulation in the blood and causes heavy or prolonged bleeding and affects males and females in equal proportions. The association launched an awareness campaign about it on the 14th of last month and was implemented in cooperation with the clinics of the Family Planning Association in Damascus and its countryside and the health point Affiliated with the Red Crescent in the solidarity area.
The symposium included a number of sessions focused on introducing the disease, managing its treatment and symptoms, especially nosebleeds, gastrointestinal bleeding and menorrhagia, and the role of the Ministry of Health in caring for those affected by it, and cooperating with the relevant NGOs.
The Director of Damascus Health, Dr. Muhammad Samer Shahrour, indicated that the ministry's plan related to hemorrhagic diseases and other chronic diseases includes global treatment protocols, in addition to enhancing awareness of genetic diseases and providing specific medicines.
The President of the World Federation of Hemophilia, Cesar Garrido, stressed in a speech via video the importance of implementing an awareness program to shed light on von Willebrand disease and the need for joint work with the Ministry of Health, NGOs and non-governmental organizations to improve access to care and treatment for patients with bleeding disorders, in addition to collecting their data.
According to the association’s president, Dr. Tahani Ali, the campaign aimed to raise awareness and publicize the disease, which is infected with one percent locally and globally, through sessions held in a number of gynecological clinics affiliated with the Family Planning Association in Damascus, benefiting about 700 women, 100 of whom suffer from a bleeding disorder, who will be followed up before The association indicated that the campaign will be expanded to include other governorates.
The Director of the Chronic Diseases Program at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Nermin Abu Dhra', pointed out that work is underway to establish a multi-sectoral committee to promote awareness of this disease, especially for those with a bleeding disorder, in addition to conducting pre-marital analyzes.
Dr. Mona Farhoud, Clinics Supervisor of the Family Planning Association, referred to the association’s role in educating women about the importance of conducting medical investigations in the event of symptoms of the disease, noting that a cooperation agreement will be signed with the Syrian Association for Hemophiliacs to enhance awareness of this and improve family and community health.
The Director of the University Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Salah Al-Sheikha, talked about the hemorrhagic diseases that women are exposed to during pregnancy and childbirth, and the importance of conducting analyzes related to detecting the causes of bleeding to determine the incidence of “von Willebrand disease” because late detection leads to death in some cases.
For his part, Director of Al-Mowasat University Hospital, Dr. Essam Al-Amin stressed the importance of raising awareness of the disease and its symptoms, including recurrent nosebleeds, pointing out that there are recent medical developments to detect it, as it is possible to overcome the risks of the disease in early detection and avoid the complications it causes.
It is noteworthy that the Syrian Society for Hemophiliacs was established in 2006 and currently provides free services to about 2,000 patients with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, including 170 people with von Willebrand.
Rama Rashidi
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