At the EAHAD 2019 Congress, in Prague, Czech Republic, we honoured two professionals for their work for and service to the haemophilia and allied disorders community in Europe and around the world, with the EAHAD Recognition Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Haemophilia and Allied Disorders field. One of the two recipients is physiotherapist Mr Piet de Kleijn, a current member and past chair of the EAHAD Physiotherapists Committee. We took the opportunity to interview him on his beginnings, his thoughts on the shape of the haemophilia field today, and his future plans.  

At the EAHAD 2019 Congress, in Prague, Czech Republic we had the great opportunity to honour contributions made to the field of bleeding disorders. On the final day of the meeting, Friday 8 February, awards were given out to the top poster and oral abstract presentations.

In March 2019, “Scope of practice of haemophilia physiotherapists: A European survey” was published in Haemophilia. Developed by the EAHAD Physiotherapists Committee in 2018, the web‐based survey was conducted with the aim to quantify the role and scope of practice of physiotherapists involved in haemophilia care. It included questions concerning work practices, assessment and treatment activities, and level of autonomy.

On February 6, during the EAHAD 2019 Congress, in Prague, Czech Republic, the inaugural meeting of the EAHAD Women and Bleeding Disorders Working Group took place. After its establishment in September and a teleconference in November 2018, this meeting was the first time the members of the Working Group had the opportunity to meet in person, discuss, plans, and finetune the priorities for the year ahead.

In August 2018, the EAHAD Nurses Committee launched a call for applications for two new members. After careful consideration, Simon Fletcher, from the United Kingdom, and Nanda Uitslager, from the Netherlands were selected to join the six-member group. We are delighted to welcome Simon and Nanda, who officially joined the committee this February on the occasion of the EAHAD 2019 Annual Congress. We are positive that their experience and knowledge will critically contribute to the future quality of work of the Nurses Committee. You can read more about Simon’s and Nanda’s respective backgrounds by clicking the links below.

The objective of the EAHAD Research Grants is to foster pre-clinical and clinical research collaborations in Europe and to support scientific projects aimed at improving the care of patients with inherited and acquired bleeding disorders.   For the 2019 cycle, we received 16 applications of great quality and scientific interest from 11 European countries. These were reviewed by a committee and by subject matter experts. Following the final decision, two 2019 Research Grants recipients were announced during the last day of the EAHAD 2019 Congress. They are:

From 5 to 8 February, the EAHAD 2019 Congress took place in Prague, Czech Republic. Prague, the city in the heart of Europe, welcomed more than 2600 delegates from over 80 countries for an unforgettable scientific experience. The 12th Annual Congress took place at the Prague Congress Centre, with a beautiful view over the historic city, and was the place to be for discussions on the latest treatment developments and ongoing clinical challenges in managing haemophilia and other related bleeding disorders.

EAHAD is inviting haemophilia physiotherapists to apply for two vacant posts on its Physiotherapists Committee. The positions are for a three-year term that would begin in February 2020.   Physiotherapists Committee membership offers an opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of physiotherapy and inter-professional EAHAD projects and events, including the Multidisciplinary Pre-Congress Day.

We are pleased to inform you that the European Principles of Inhibitor Management are now available in video format. This production is the result of two years’ worth of collaboration between multidisciplinary care professionals from the EAHAD and EHC networks, including haematologists, physiotherapists, nurses and psychosocial professionals.