El Salvador – A decade towards transformative progress in haemophilia care
Over the past decade, El Salvador has made significant progress in haemophilia care, driven by the dedication of healthcare professionals like Dr Armando Estrada, paediatric haematologist at Hospital Nacional de Niños Benjamín Bloom.
First steps: a transformative beginning
This journey began in 2013. At that time, Dr Estrada was a young doctor following the footsteps of his mentor Dr Ana Gladis Mancia de Reyes and witnessing the inception of the first project supported by the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation (NNHF). The project focused mainly on enhancing care in the capital and empowering people with haemophilia and their families.
Before the NNHF project, haemophilia treatment was primarily on-demand. However, since 2015, all paediatric and adult patients have access to prophylaxis, with 80% of procurement now covered by the government, whose involvement in the project since the beginning ensured a deep understanding of the critical need for timely treatment and care for people with haemophilia.
Despite these achievements, treatment remains centralised in San Salvador, underscoring the crucial need to expand access to prophylactic treatment across the country and decentralise basic care.
Today and envisioning the future
Today, a decade later, Dr Estrada alongside Dr Milla, a haematologist at Hospital Nacional Rosales, is leading on the next steps of El Salvador’s transformative journey. Reflecting on the progress made and the confidence towards the future.
The strides we’ve made reflect the great journey we’ve been on. With this new project we are poised to greatly impact haemophilia and sickle cell disease care in El Salvador, shaping a healthier future for our patients.
This new project, supported by the NNHF, is designed to bring about a pivotal shift in haemophilia and sickle cell disease care, as it will enhance multidisciplinary care, improve diagnostic capabilities, establish a sickle cell disease registry, and decentralise care to select regions strategically identified by the Ministry of Health. Additionally, the Ministry will support a nationwide screening programme for sickle cell disease among children, presenting a timely opportunity to establish a comprehensive registry and define an integrated care strategy.
Looking to the future, this project is expected to have a profound impact on haemophilia and sickle cell disease care in El Salvador, fostering a more integrated approach to care and allowing greater accessibility to both care and treatment beyond the capital. Collaborative efforts with other countries in Central America will also accelerate advocacy initiatives, fostering an improved landscape for blood disorders care.
Furthermore, the establishment of a specialised women’s clinic will provide care for women with bleeding disorders, reflecting a future where ALL people with haemophilia and haemoglobinopathies, can readily access diagnosis, care, and treatment closer to home.
