Collage of Vietnam visit by WFH Humanitarian Aid team

One step closer to sustainable care in Vietnam

A bleeding disorder can severely impact a child’s life, often causing missed school days and reduced mobility due to recurring joint bleeds. In Vietnam, the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) is making a significant difference in the lives of children—and adults—by providing support in the form of training and donated treatment products, allowing people with bleeding disorders (PWBDs) to receive prophylactic treatment and live bleed-free lives.

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The WFH is engaged in Vietnam through several endeavours—including the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program, and programs focusing on access to care and treatment and laboratory quality control—to support the national member organization, hemophilia treatment centres, healthcare practitioners, PWBDs and their families. This strategy has made prophylaxis a reality for the bleeding disorders community.

Thi Mai Nguyen, MD, is Director of the Hematology Centre at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in Hanoi. She has seen first-hand the transformative impact WFH support has made—especially through the donation of treatment products. Her team has been able to place patients on prophylaxis, perform necessary surgeries, and educate specialists on managing patients during emergencies and surgeries, providing significantly better care than what was possible in the past. Many patients can now self-infuse at home, reducing the need for frequent hospital visits.

Bach Quoc Khanh, MD, former Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in Hanoi, also expresses profound gratitude for the WFH’s support, which includes donated factor and essential education and training. He explains that WFH support has allowed his team to provide better care and is helping the country move along the path to sustainable care.

Patients who are on prophylaxis can bring medication to their home for treatment. Patients who receive surgery in other hospitals have access to factor so they can undergo the procedure safely.

—Thi Mai Nguyen, Director of the Hematology Centre at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion

Better care in Vietnam has literally changed lives. Bao, a young man with hemophilia, experienced frequent knee bleeds that threatened his mobility. Thanks to donated factor, he underwent knee-replacement surgery and, three years later, can now walk on his own. Duy Anh Nguyen—a young boy who used to miss school frequently due to bleeds and was afraid to play with his friends—now leads an active life thanks to prophylactic treatment made possible by the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program.

The WFH Humanitarian Aid Program has donated over 12.4 million IUs of factor and over 630,000 mg of non-factor replacement therapy to Vietnam since 2015. Over 2.15 million IUs of factor, and nearly 231,000 mg of non-factor replacement therapy were donated in 2023 alone. To find out more about the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program, please click here.

About the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program

The WFH Humanitarian Aid Program improves the lack of access to care and treatment by providing much-needed support for people with inherited bleeding disorders in developing countries. By providing patients with a more predictable and sustainable flow of humanitarian aid donations, the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program makes it possible for patients to receive consistent and reliable access to treatment and care. None of this would be possible without the generous support of Sanofi and Sobi, our Founding Visionary Contributors; Bayer, CSL Behring and Roche, our Visionary Contributors; Grifols, our Leadership Contributor; and Takeda and Japan Blood Products Organization, our Contributors. To learn more about the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program, visit www.treatmentforall.org.

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Disclaimer

The information on the WFH website is provided for general information purposes only. The WFH does not engage in the practice of medicine and under no circumstances recommends particular treatment for specific individuals. For diagnosis or consultation on a specific medical problem, the WFH recommends that you contact your physician or local treatment centre. Before administering any products, the WFH urges patients to check dosages with a physician or hemophilia centre staff, and to consult the pharmaceutical company’s printed instructions.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, the WFH does not guarantee the information is accurate, and is not responsible in any way whatsoever for damages arising out of the use of this website or any of the information contained herein.

Messages posted to WFH discussion forums, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms do not represent the opinions of the World Federation of Hemophilia, its staff, or Board of Directors. The author of a message is solely responsibility for its content. Information posted on WFH social networks and platforms should never be a substitute for individualized professional medical advice, even when the author has medical qualifications or is considered an authority. Information posted to a discussion group should not be used to diagnose or treat a specific health problem without consulting a qualified healthcare professional. The WFH recommends that you contact your physician or local treatment centre if you have any individual questions or concerns.

References and links to other websites or references to other organizations, products, services, or publications do not constitute endorsement or approval by the WFH. The WFH is not responsible and assumes no liability for the content of any linked websites.

Fraud Alert

Unauthorized solicitations – Warning

The WFH has been made aware of various correspondences—circulated via e-mail and telephone—coming from individuals impersonating WFH staff or falsely stating that they are associated with the WFH. These correspondences, which may seek to obtain money using the name of someone affiliated with the WFH, are fraudulent and come from outside of our organization.

If you receive a suspicious solicitation, exercise extreme caution. In the case of an email, look at the email address to see if it looks suspicious (for example, all WFH emails come from @wfh.org).

We are asking you to remain vigilant, and if you have any doubts about the correspondence, please forward the email to the WFH at [email protected] or call +1 514-875-7944.