A WORLD VIEW:

Despite being situated a few miles east of the financial centre of London, Tower Hamlets is a relatively deprived borough. The local population is ethnically diverse, with Bangladeshis being the largest ethnic minority. Once the decision was made in 2010 to participate in the twinning program, Bangladesh was an obvious choice as a twin. The RLH was formally twinned with two hospitals, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In any given population, around 1 in 10,000 people will be born with haemophilia. In the UK, access to the National Health Service and in particular to specialist services means that for those born with haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders there is funding available to provide professionals dedicated to delivering up to date care and treatment. This enables those living with bleeding disorders to lead a full and almost normal life. Bangladesh has a population in excess of 150 million, resulting in an estimated haemophilia population of 14,000. However, given the lack of funding, supplies and the necessary professionals and knowledge, few have been diagnosed. Even fewer have access to specialist care or treatment for bleeds. For those who are diagnosed and whose family can afford treatment, whole blood or fresh frozen plasma are the most likely treatments available for bleeds. For most, haemophilia is a life sentence. Many do not survive childhood while those who make it into adolescence and adulthood do so with much pain and disability. This situation is reflected in many other developing countries. It is for this reason the World Federation of Hemophilia developed its Twinning Programme, now in its 16th year, under which haemophilia centres in emerging countries are twinned with centres in established countries. This two-way partnership imparts knowledge and support to enable the developing centre to deliver safe and appropriate care. Since the beginning of the twinning programme, the patient group in Bangladesh has established a network of hospitals. It is hoped that the partnership will provide good haemophilia care not only for those living in and around Dhaka, but also for those families travelling back and forth between London and Dhaka.