Haemophilia care in Europe: a survey of 19 countries

In 2009, a questionnaire was circulated to 19 national haemophilia patient organizations in Europe affiliated to the European Haemophilia Consortium (EHC) and the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) to seek information about the organization of haemophilia care and treatment available at a national level. The responses received highlighted differences in the level of care despite the recent promulgation of consensus guidelines designed to standardize the care of haemophilia throughout the continent of Europe. There was a wide range in factor VIII consumption with usage ranging from 0.38 IU per capita in Romania to 8.7 IU per capita in Sweden (median: 3.6 IU per capita). Despite the specific inclusion of coagulation factor concentrate in the WHO list of essential medications, cryoprecipitate is still used in some eastern European countries.