One in 10,000 Kenyans has haemophilia, says report

A patient receives an injection. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • The blood of a haemophiliac does not clot easily.

  • Those with severe haemophilia can start bleeding spontaneously from their joints, muscles or other body parts.

  • The most common types of the condition are haemophilia A and B.

  • The disease is treated by injecting a clotting factor concentrate into a vein.

Kenya joined other countries in marking the World Haemophilia Day on Tuesday.

The ceremony took place in Nairobi under the theme “sharing knowledge.

Kenya Haemophilia Association chairman Kibet Shikuku said at least one in every 10,000 Kenyans has had the disorder, also called the bleeder’s disease.

The blood of a haemophiliac does not clot easily. The condition can result in bleeding long after an injury or an increased bleeding in one’s joints or brain.

TREATMENT

Dr Shikuku said only 650 patients, or 14 per cent of the haemophiliacs, have been diagnosed and registered for treatment and care.

He added that people with the illness lack certain factor proteins needed to form a clot.

“For patients with mild haemophilia, blood does not clot automatically when they are injured or during a surgery,” Dr Shikuku said.

Those with severe haemophilia can start bleeding spontaneously from their joints, muscles or other body parts.

He said symptoms may include swelling, pain and stiffness and problems in using one’s muscles or joints. Continuous bleeding in a joint may also lead to arthritis, he said.

X CHROMOSOME

A baby gets the disease from its mother through the X chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes while men have only one.

“Men can have a disease like haemophilia if they inherit an affected X chromosome from their mother,” Dr Shikuku explained.

“In women, the good X chromosome will buffer the abnormal one, therefore moderating the severity of the disease.”

The most common types of the condition are haemophilia A and B.

“The one a person has depends on which of the clotting factor proteins are absent. The obvious treatment is to put back what is missing,” he said.

Haemophiliacs face several challenges, including costly treatment, lack of treatment facilities and inadequate specialists. Many cases go undetected.

TREATMENT

The disease is treated by injecting a clotting factor concentrate into a vein.

“It costs about Sh150,000 to administer the treatment to a baby for three days,” Dr Shikuku said.

For an adult, it depends on weight but treatment can be three times that amount.”

There are only three hospitals in Kenya which run haemophilia comprehensive care clinics: Moi Teaching and Referral, Coast General and Kenyatta National hospitals.

The prophylaxis programme, a treatment introduced in 2016, stalled due to a shortage of drugs.