Epidemiological study of hereditary hemorrhagic disorders in Najaf province, Iraq

Abstract

Hemophilia and Von Willbrand disease (VWD) are the most well known types of hereditary hemorrhagic disorders (HHD). Hemophilia affects about 200 000 people worldwide, while VWD affects about 80 000. Because there is a scarcity of epidemiologic studies on hemophilia in Iraq, this study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence and incidence trends, as well as to identify some clinical and epidemiological features of hemophilia patients in Najaf province, Iraq. This study was carried out in the Najaf's hemophilia center. The data were obtained by reviewing all patients’ documents, as well as the center registration book from 2011 to 2021. In addition, the Ministry of Health provided relevant population data for Najaf. Notably, there are currently 214 patients registered in Najaf province. The results revealed that the severe form of hemophilia A was the permanent type of HHDs in the patients compared with the rest of the types that include HHD with no significant difference Pat least 0.05. The frequency of this group of disorders appeared to increase in the period between 2011 and 2013, especially in 2012 followed by a decline in the incidence until 2021, which recorded a sudden increase in these disorders. These findings highlight that hemophilia types A and B were the most prevalent disorders of HHD in Najaf province, and the increase in number of newly recorded cases because of consanguineous marriage increased recently in this area.