Governor Proclaims Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month 2021

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan first designated National Hemophilia Awareness Month in March 1986; in 2016, the United States Department of Health and Human Services expanded this observance by designating March as National Bleeding Disorders Month; and

WHEREAS, bleeding disorders are a group of conditions that result when the blood cannot clot properly and are characterized by extended bleeding after injury, surgery, trauma, or menstruation; blood disorders can lead to significant morbidity and can be fatal if not treated effectively; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Hemophilia Foundation, as many as half of all people with hemophilia between the late 1970s and mid-1980s became infected with HIV and/or Hepatitis C due to contamination of blood supply and blood products, before the identification of AIDS brought about more stringent blood safety measures and tests; and

WHEREAS, Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month is intended to raise awareness and understanding of not only hemophilia but all inheritable bleeding disorders; among these disorders is von Willebrand disease, which impacts an estimated one percent of the population, or more than 3.2 million people in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month is an opportunity to foster a greater sense of community and shared purpose among all individuals affected by a form of inheritable bleeding disorder; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages individuals and organizations across our state to raise public awareness of bleeding disorders to increase support for this community, and to promote further understanding for the research, prevention, and proper treatment of these diseases;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim March, 2021, as “BLEEDING DISORDERS AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.