Kenya, a country of 41 million people, could have as many as 4,000 individuals with hemophilia, but only an estimated 2,500 might still be living due to early disease-associated mortality.
As of 2009, Kenya had only one hemophilia treatment center (HTC) which had identified approximately 450 patients, 200 of whom were considered lost to follow-up.
That's why in 2010, the Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center began a partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, Kenya to support individuals with bleeding disorders. MTRH is the second largest referral hospital in Kenya, and one of only a few medical schools in the country. MTRH has partnered with Indiana University for more than 20 years to create the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) program.
The IHTC joined AMPATH to begin western Kenya’s first comprehensive HTC, now known as KH-CARE. Since that time, the IHTC has helped to establish a coagulation lab, provide access to clotting factor concentrate, conduct over 15 home visits to patients, and organize more than 10 healthcare provider and patient education conferences about hemophilia management. In addition, over 400 individuals have been registered as part of the hemophilia registry to aid in effective follow-up and management.
Watch our video to learn about the creation of the IHTC Kenya Partnership and the program’s recent efforts.