NAIROBI, KENYA: The Kenya Haemophilia Association (KHA), healthcare professionals, circumcisers, and parents have launched a national campaign to raise awareness on the risks related to circumcision for people with bleeding disorders.
The initiative will offer programmes to improve knowledge on haemophilia and allied bleeding disorders among patients, families, medical staff as well as circumcisers in Kenya.
According to Dr Kibet Shikuku, a haematologist at the Kenyatta National Hospital, people with haemophilia or allied bleeding disorders face the risk of heavy bleeding during circumcision.
“People with bleeding disorders face a major risk when undergoing circumcision without the needed precautions. We want to start a series of educational initiatives to avoid young men dying after circumcision. It is possible to circumcise safely”, explains Dr Shikuku.
Haemophilia is a genetic disorder that impairs the body’s ability to control blood clotting or coagulation. Haemophiliacs can suffer from uncontrolled bleeding even from minor injuries and bleeding in joints, muscles and organs. These genetic disorders occur more in males than females. The awareness campaign dubbed ‘Safe Rite of Passage’ intends to spread the message that severe bleeding, complications and death during circumcision can be avoided.
An estimated 6.9 million people have a bleeding disorder, yet 75 per cent of them don’t know it. According to KHA, about 4,300 people have a bleeding disorder. However, only 10 per cent of those are diagnosed and registered. “In a country, where only few patients are diagnosed, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Diagnosis and therewith the collection of data is fundamental to reach our vision that all patients in Kenya have access to care and treatment,” reiterates James Kago, the chairman of KHA.