On October 16, 2020, during the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Annual Meeting of the General Assembly, the Associação Liga dos Amigos de Doentes Hematológicos de Angola (LADHA) was accredited as an associate national member organization (NMO), joining the other 146 NMOs worldwide.
José António, President of LADHA, knew only four other people living with a bleeding disorder in Angola before joining the organization. His country has a population of 30 million, and he wondered how many more people like him there were—only undiagnosed and possibly suffering. He worried for the families who did not know why their children were sick, the stigma they faced in their communities and the lack of care and treatment they have to live with. Like so many volunteers in the global bleeding disorders community, António decided to invest time into making life better for other people with his condition by joining his local hemophilia association.
LADHA was registered with the government in 2014 with the goals of representing the interest of the bleeding disorders community nationally, advocating for patient rights, and making it possible for people living with a bleeding disorder to receive sustainable care. The organization ultimately hopes to be able to improve the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of the Angolan bleeding disorders community. Currently, there are 83 identified people with hemophilia (PWH) in Angola and only one hospital in the Capital city of Luanda—the David Bernardino Pediatric Hospital—that provides basic hemophilia services for children and adults in the country.
José António is excited for the opportunities that being formally part of the WFH offers LADHA and the patients of Angola. He believes that the important milestone of becoming an associate NMO signals to the Angolan community that they are not alone, and that they have the global bleeding disorder community standing in solidarity with their efforts.
The WFH team looks forward, in concert with our many dedicated volunteers, to collaborating with LADHA members to get one step closer to the WFH vision of Treatment for All.
On behalf of the global bleeding disorders community, welcome, LADHA!
Meeting with the Angolan Ministry of Health, LADHA members and the WFH
