Comparing the Burden of Illness of Hemophilia in the Developing and the Developed World

Because of high cost, persons with hemophilia in many developing countries cannot afford adequate treatment. For example, many persons with hemophilia in India and China are only rarely treated with factor replacement in response to bleeds, and as a result many have developed significant arthropathy and disability. A pilot study in China estimated the mean Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) at 13.1 (SD 9.03) suggesting that these children had highly prevalent, severe joint disease. The lack of relationship between the HJHS and treatment history suggests overall inadequate therapy. The proposed study will quantify the burden of arthropathy, physical disability, and quality of life (QoL) in boys with hemophilia in Brazil - where comprehensive treatment is just beginning to be widely available. This study will also provide an opportunity to compare these outcomes to those observed in Canada, where the dominant therapy has become life-long prophylaxis.