Cure for hemophilia is within reach, says Oppong-Mensah

Yaa Gyamfua Oppong-Mensah has said scientists are working progressively to find a permanent cure for hemophilia, a bleeding disorder.

Oppong-Mensah is a pediatrician at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi and a member of the Ghana Hemophilia Society.

With an injury or surgery, hemophilia patients can bleed spontaneously, or excessively, she stated.

She said “studies in both animals and humans have provided evidence that a permanent cure for hemophilia is within reach. Gene therapy, which has a curative intent, is currently under development and trials in the Western world.”

The pediatrician stated that, notwithstanding, progress in the research, the current standard of care for hemophilia in the country is to control or prevent bleeding episodes through factor replacement therapy, given by regular intravenous infusions.

Oppong-Mensah said the KATH and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital offer comprehensive care to patients with bleeding disorders to improve their quality of life.

She stated that the earliest symptoms usually occurred after birth; bleeding from the cord, swelling of the scalp and most importantly, prolonged bleeding after circumcision.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency to mark this year’s World Hemophilia Day (WHD), Oppong-Mensah said “an individual’s blood does not clot properly due to insufficient blood-clotting proteins (clotting factor) that help stop bleeding.”

The WHD is an annual global event held on 17 April. It was instituted by the World Federation of Hemophilia. This year’s celebration is on the theme “access for all: prevention of bleeds as the global standard of care.”

Oppong-Mensah said with the support of the Ghana Hemophilia Society, other satellite centers have been established in the Sunyani Regional Hospital, Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Sefwi Wiawso Municipal Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital and Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.

She said “the disease is caused by a mutation in a gene that sits on the X chromosome. Males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), and females have two X chromosomes (XX).  Hence, males are affected when they inherit a chromosome from their mothers.

“The disease consequently affects more males than females, as males have only one X chromosome.  A female carrying the defect on one of her X chromosomes may not be affected by it.

“A carrier mother has a 50% chance of passing the faulty X chromosome to her daughter, while an affected father will always pass on the affected gene to his daughters.

“A son cannot inherit the defective gene from his father. Hemophilia affects all races and ethnicities with an occurrence of one in every 10,000 births.”

The founder of the Ghana Hemophilia Society, Martin Boakye, said the non-profit organization was formed in 2009 and worked to educate and train health workers. It has advocated the needs and rights of people living with hemophilia.

Currently, the society has, in collaboration with the treatment centers, about 500 hemophilia patients in their database who are being supported in treatment and care.

Boakye said “the society, through its enviable work, has gained recognition and membership from the World Federation of Hemophilia, Canada.”

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