Motivated by his belief in continuous professional development, Juan Andrés joined the WFH PACT Advocacy Academy to strengthen his advocacy skills and learn from leaders working in different contexts. Through the Academy, he gained a clearer understanding of how effective advocacy requires systematic planning, stakeholder awareness, and strategic goal setting. Sessions on treatment access and effective procurement mechanisms provided Juan Andrés with valuable insight into how national health systems make decisions, while presentations on health economics broadened his understanding of how to support sustainable access to care.
Learn from those who came before you, but don’t be afraid to adapt and innovate. Change takes time, but staying committed makes it possible.
—Juan Andrés Pereira de Souza, President, Uruguayan Haemophilia Association
Juan Andrés’ advocacy project focused on developing a national law to establish legal protections and social and healthcare rights for people with bleeding disorders. Although the initial draft was presented to parliament, political priorities shifted during an election period, delaying progress. With a new government now in place, he plans to relaunch the campaign.
While legislative changes have not yet been introduced, Juan Andrés’ concerted advocacy together with the WFH national member organization (NMO) team has already contributed to measurable improvements in treatment access, notably in increase in the number of adults receiving non-factor replacement therapy in Uruguay. The NMO also strengthened collaboration with hemophilia treatment centres and delivered training for people with bleeding disorders on new therapies.
For Juan Andrés, advocacy requires patience and persistence. His advice to future advocates is: “Learn from those who came before you, but don’t be afraid to adapt and innovate. Change takes time, but staying committed makes it possible.”
To find out more about the WFH PACT Program, click here.
The PACT Program is supported by funding from Roche and Sanofi, our visionary partners; CSL Behring and Pfizer, our leadership partners.
This story is part of a series about leaders and advocates who are making an impact in the world through their involvement in the WFH Path to Access to Care and Treatment (PACT) Advocacy Academy, and their advocacy for the community. To read other stories from this series, see the table below:
PACT Advocacy Academy member | Country | Story link |
Tahani Ali, MD | Syria | |
Nibia Gómez | Uruguay | |
Najmul Alam | Bangladesh | |
Minackshi Dhurmoo Luchmun | Mauritius |
