#What is haemophilia?

Haemophilia is a rare genetic disorder that affects the blood's ability to clot properly. People with haemophilia have a deficiency or absence of certain clotting factors, which are proteins in the blood that help control bleeding. As a result, they experience prolonged bleeding or excessive bleeding even from minor injuries or internal bleeding without any apparent cause. Haemophilia is usually inherited and primarily affects males, although females can also be carriers of the gene. There are different types of haemophilia, with the most common being haemophilia A (caused by a deficiency of clotting factor VIII) and haemophilia B (caused by a deficiency of clotting factor IX). Treatment for haemophilia involves replacing the missing clotting factor through regular infusions to prevent or control bleeding episodes.