Hemophilia is an inherited sex-linked bleeding disorder that results in coagulation factor deficiency and primarily targets males while females remain as asymptomatic carriers. The hemophilia gene is located on the X chromosome that is a sex chromosome and since males only have one X chromosome they are more susceptible to the disease. A female requires a defective gene in both X chromosomes in order to be a hemophiliac but she can be a carrier with one defective gene and may pass this gene on to her offspring. There are three types of hemophilia which are hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency), hemophilia B (factor IX deficiency), and hemophilia C (factor IX deficiency).

Factor therapy for hemophiliacs
          Patients suffering from this disease have a very restricted and limited lifestyle as they are unable to take part in many activities due to the risk of contracting an injury that in a normal person would heal spontaneously but in them may bleed profusely for hours. Bleeding into joints may also cause deformities in the joints and lead to disability. All of these shortcomings can however be overcome by factor replacement therapy treatment. With the proper factor replacement therapy these patients will be capable of enjoying a normal and healthy lifestyle.

          The main restriction or obstacle in their path to a normal life is the staggering cost of the factors needed to raise their factor level to near normal values. Each international unit (IU) of factor costs around Rs 8.50 and an average patient of 50kg with a severe deficiency may require up to 1250 IU of factor to increase the blood levels of the factor to around 50%, which will cost them RS 10625 per infusion.

          The inability of many of the patients and their families to support such a cost for the proper therapy leaves many of patients to suffer the brunt of the disease that robs them of a normal childhood and also their youth. They suffer due to the fact that they can not afford the treatment that can actually help them lead a perfectly normal life. With sufficient funding, these patients will be able to receive the appropriate treatment and enjoy a carefree healthy childhood, adolescence and adulthood.