Bike ride in support of people with Hemophilia begins at National Palace of Culture

The "Together" bicycle ride, in support of people with hemophilia, started from the National Palace of Culture (NPC) in Sofia on Saturday. The event was organized by the Bulgarian Hemophilia Association (BAH). 

Cycling, together with swimming, is a particularly suitable sport for people with haemophilia, said association chairman Viktor Paskalev. The aim of the bike ride is to see that people with haemophilia are equal to other people, he added. According to Paskalev, one of the biggest problems patients with the disease face is the lack of medication.

This year's awareness campaign around World Hemophilia Day is under the moto "For a world without hemorrhages!".

Every year, BAH celebrates World Haemophilia Day on April 17 with an awareness campaign and various public events aimed at promoting initiatives to ensure that people with inherited bleeding disorders get the treatment they need.

Another key initiative in the World Hemophilia Day awareness campaign is the lighting of buildings and landmarks around the world - "Light It Up Red!" Among the buildings that have been coloured red this year are the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, as well as the Sydney Opera House and the Colosseum in Rome, BAH said. 

Haemophilia is an inherited genetic disease that lowers the body's ability to clot blood and leads to prolonged bleeding when injured, bruising and an increased risk of internal bleeding in the joints or brain, the association explained. Treatment consists of infusing the missing clotting factor. Drugs containing the missing clotting factors are produced based on human blood plasma or by recombinant methods. About 20% of people develop antibodies to clotting factors, making treatment more difficult, the BAH added.