“We are Many”: The Race to Treat Hemophilia in Kenya

Intro to the Series

An estimated 1 in 10,000 people are born with hemophilia, a blood disorder caused by a lack of proteins needed to stop bleeding. While those in developed countries have access to treatment that allows them to lead normal lives, that is not the case for the more than half a million people in low- and middle-income countries. For them, hemophilia can be a “curse,” a cause for stigma and financial disaster—and, sometimes, a death sentence.

Journalist Hannah McNeish and photographer Will Swanson documented the impact of hemophilia on the lives of Kenyans struggling against a disease that is only now beginning to receive the treatment and financial support. “‘We are Many’: The Race to Treat Hemophilia in Kenya” is a 3-part series based on a winning entry to the 2018 Untold Global Health Story contest.

The Untold Global Health Story of 2018

• Part I: Demystifying the Curse 

• Part II: Hemophilia's Crippling Cost

• Part III: The Muranga Solution: Extending Hemophilia Care To Rural Kenya

• Behind the Scenes: More Than a Medical Story: A Q&A with Hannah McNeish

• Photo Gallery: Will Swanson chronicles images of hope and devastation wrought by hemophilia in Kenya, providing  up-close look at the families and patients affected—as well as the people working hard to transform their care.

Please see also GHN coverage from previous Untold Global Health Story contests, including: 

• Blazing Injustice: The Hidden Crisis of Burn Injuries (2017)
• Bitter Harvest: Cassava and Konzo, the Crippling Disease (2016)
• The Most Neglected Disease: Mycetoma (2015) 

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