The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) established its Twinning Programme more than 20 years ago to help improve haemophilia care in emerging countries. Through a four-year partnership, annual WFH grants of USD 2,000–8,000 are made to support shared projects and capacity-building.

The Irish Haemophilia Society (IHS) has been an active participant in the World Federation of Hemophilia’s Twinning Programme for many years, partnering with developing haemophilia organisations and treatment centres around the world. The programme creates partnerships between established centres and emerging ones, with the goal of improving diagnosis, treatment, organisational capacity, and overall care for people with inherited bleeding disorders.

The IHS has successfully completed twinning partnerships with several countries, including Greece, Hungary, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Vietnam and, most recently, Jordan. Through these partnerships, the Society has provided expertise in governance, strategic planning, patient education, communications, membership development, events, and advocacy.

In addition to organisational twinning, Ireland’s comprehensive care centres at St. James’s Hospital and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin have taken part in Treatment Centre Twinning with their counterparts in Jordan. Their focus includes enhancing national registries, treatment protocols, and clinical training, as well as supporting the development of a national procurement system for haemophilia therapies.

Overall, the Irish Haemophilia Society’s long-standing engagement with the WFH Twinning Programme reflects its commitment to strengthening haemophilia care globally through collaboration, skill-sharing, and sustainable development.