World Hemophilia Day 2026: theme of “Diagnosis: First step to care”

Today is World Hemophilia Day 2026!

Today is April 17, 2026—World Hemophilia Day! This year’s theme of “Diagnosis: First step to care” highlights the critical importance of diagnosis—the essential first step in treatment and care. The WFH estimates that over three-quarters of the population of people with hemophilia worldwide are undiagnosed, and an even more significant gap also exists for other bleeding disorders. This means that hundreds of thousands of people around the world still lack access to basic care. We have the power—and the shared commitment—to change this. We can improve diagnostic outcomes by strengthening the skills of healthcare professionals and enhancing the effectiveness of laboratories.

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Accurate diagnosis is the gateway to care for people living with bleeding disorders. Yet in many parts of the world, barriers continue to delay or prevent proper diagnosis—leading to unacceptably low diagnosis rates. The challenge is even greater for people with von Willebrand disease, rare bleeding disorders, and for women and girls with bleeding disorders. On April 17, I call on the global community to unite in advocating for stronger diagnostic capabilities everywhere—because without diagnosis, there is no treatment, and without treatment, there is no progress.

—Cesar Garrido, WFH President

There are many ways you can bring attention to hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders on World Hemophilia Day. We have a vast resource of material available that you can download right now for free:

  • Poster
  • Website banner
  • Email signature graphic
  • “How to get involved” one-pager
  • Advocacy toolkit detailing more ways to get involved
  • Social media cover photos and graphics
  • And more!

Whether you are a person with a bleeding disorder, a national member organization (NMO), or a healthcare professional, here are just a few things you can do to get started:

  • Get social by posting about inherited bleeding disorders on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram
  • Organize an event, host a community event, webinar, forum or town hall and invite elected officials to learn more about your work first-hand and to meet with the community
  • Support our global advocacy efforts by becoming a WFH Global Champion
  • Share your story—or a video!—about how you or someone you know has been affected by inherited bleeding disorders, and read the stories of others on our World Hemophilia Day site
  • Take action locally and use WFH World Hemophilia Day materials to send a letter to your local policymakers, set up meetings with elected officials and health ministers and engage with the local media
  • Contact your local national member organization (NMO), to find out how you can support them
  • Download resources like posters and social media banners from wfh.org/whd to help build your World Hemophilia Day campaign
  • Participate in the World Hemophilia Day Light it Up Red campaign. Last year, thousands of people worldwide showed their support by taking selfies in front of landmarks lit up in red around the world.
  • Send pictures, comments, or questions to the WFH at [email protected]

To learn more about World Hemophilia Day, please click here.

The WFH would like to thank our 2026 World Hemophilia Day sponsors for their continued support: Bayer, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., CSL Behring, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., Grifols, Kedrion, LFB S.A, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sobi, and Takeda.

We’ve accomplished a lot this year, we need your help to continue strong.

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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.