Last site update: 17 July 2008

© EAHAD 2008

The European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders is a recently established independent association of healthcare professionals which grew out of the activities of the European Interdisciplinary Working Group (IDWG).

 

The IDWG first met in 2005 to identify and address constraints inhibiting developments in haemophilia care across Europe (1). This group of 45 independent European haemophilia physicians from 19 countries across Europe was led by its co-chairmen Professors Christopher Ludlam and Pier Mannucci and a Steering Committee of Professor Jan Astermark, Dr Brian Colvin, Dr Mike Makris, Professor Jørgen Ingerslev and Professor Claude Negrier. The group identified, firstly the need for an agreed framework for underpinning principles of haemophilia services, secondly the need to encourage more young physicians to enter the specialty, and thirdly the need to develop a surveillance system for adverse events in those with haemophilia particularly in respect of therapy. The IDWG received an educational grant from Baxter BioScience.

 

The physicians of the IDWG formed three working groups and these each met on 7 occasions over the following two years to address the issues of development of haemophilia services, recruitment of young physicians and the safety of therapy. These working groups prepared and published the European Principles of Haemophilia Care (2), the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Curriculum (3) and established the European Haemophilia Surveillance Project (EUHASS). This latter project has received support of Euros 1 million from European Union's DG SANCO and the pharmaceutical industry and will collect data from 50 haemophilia centres from 25 European countries.

 

With the completion of the IDWG activities, the physicians wished to continue to meet to collaborate and promote haemophilia activities across the whole of Europe. These physicians developed a constitution for a European Association for all healthcare professionals providing haemophilia services including physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and clinical scientists. At an independently funded, open meeting in Vienna on 7th June 2007, 120 individuals were enthusiastic to form the Association, agreed the constitution and elected office bearers and an executive committee.

 

The Aims of the Association were set out as follows:

• to recognise, measure and address the problems of people with haemophilia and allied disorders in Europe, to protect their interests and to ensure the provision of the highest quality of care available.
• to advance the education of medical practitioners, clinical scientists, professions allied to medicine and the general public in the knowledge of haemophilia and allied disorders and their treatment.
• to promote scientific research and audit into the causes, prevention, alleviation and management of haemophilia and allied disorders and to disseminate the useful results of such research.

 

The constitution was transformed into a legal document (Memorandum and Articles of Association) to enable the Association to register both as a Limited Company (no.06373427) and also as a charity in England. An accountant and bankers have been appointed. The registered address and secretariat for the Association is in conjunction with the UK Haemophilia Centre Doctors’ Organisation (UKHCDO) at Haemophilia Department, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK. For further details see Contact Us.

 

The Association invited equal sponsorship from major pharmaceutical companies and the industry has generously supported the setting up of EAHAD. See Sponsors for names of the companies who have donated to the Association.

 

The Association held a very successful and well attended first congress in Amsterdam on 14th and 15th February 2007. See Past Meetings for details of the programme and for access to some of the presentations.

 

The second congress will be in Munich 26th and 27th February 2009. See Future Meetings for further information and let the secretariat know if you would like to receive additional details.

 

Christopher A Ludlam

President

July 2008

 

References

1) Haemophilia. 2005 ,11:433-7.

2) Haemophilia. 2008 ,14:361-74.

3) Haemophilia (in press)

History of EAHAD