EAHAD 2026: Advancements and Challenges in Haemophilia Care Highlighted in Dublin
DUBLIN, Ireland – Over 2,000 delegates from more than 77 countries convened in Dublin for the 19th annual European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders (EAHAD) Congress, recognizing the history, advancements, and ongoing challenges in the field of haemophilia and related disorders.
Niamh O’Connell, Consultant Haematologist at the National Coagulation Centre (NCC) at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, and the EAHAD 2026 Congress President, opened the event by emphasizing the society’s core missions: delivering high-quality clinical care, advancing education, and fostering scientific research. Drawing on the Irish concept of ‘meitheal’ – a collective voluntary effort based on reciprocity and trust – O’Connell likened this spirit to EAHAD’s collaborative approach to improving haemophilia care. She encouraged attendees to network, share ideas, and develop plans for future progress. EAHAD 2026 Welcome Message
Allied Healthcare Professionals’ Day
A comprehensive overview of ‘Allied Healthcare Professionals’ Day’ was presented, showcasing the crucial roles of nurses, physiotherapists, and psychosocial professionals (PPs) in managing bleeding disorders. The day featured joint sessions for all specialties, alongside specialized streams tailored to each profession. This year’s joint session focused on family consultations, addressing topics such as intergenerational guilt, navigating complex family dynamics, and supporting young people with haemophilia.
Christina Burgess, from the Haemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Counselling Association (HBDCA), summarized the PPs stream, which addressed emerging mental and social issues in patients and provided guidance on psychosocial care during key transition points, including trauma-sensitive care for novel diagnoses, European psychosocial principles for gene therapy, and the use of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy for anxiety and adjustment disorders.
Maj Friberg Birkedal, from Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, detailed the nursing stream sessions, highlighting the SLAM session – an opportunity for healthcare professionals and researchers to present top-selected abstracts. The nurse stream SLAM focused on developing new care strategies and evaluating their impact. Cristina Benedicto Moreno, from Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Hospital in Spain, won the session with an abstract titled ‘Implementation of a Nursing-led Remote Evaluation for the Assessment and Prioritization of Adolescents with Heavy Menstrual Bleeding’. Other sessions covered procedure-related anxiety in children and mucosal bleeds.
Ruth Elise Dybvik Matlary, from Oslo University Hospital in Norway, summarized the physiotherapists’ stream. The SLAM session included research on blood-induced joint damage in Glanzmann thrombasthenia, exercise patterns in children with haemophilia, and long-term survival of hip and knee arthroplasty in people with haemophilia. Paula Loughnane, from Trinity College Dublin, won with an abstract titled ‘Patterns of Habitual Physical Activity among Irish Children and Adolescents with Haemophilia’. A debate centered on whether all people with bleeding disorders should have an annual musculoskeletal review.
Successful Ageing and Multimorbidities
Rose Anne Kenny, Chair of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College and St James Hospital, discussed evidence-based strategies for successful ageing. She differentiated between ‘lifespan’ (maximum potential years), ‘life expectancy’ (average expected age), and ‘health span’ (years lived in good health). EAHAD 2026 – HealthManagement.org
Kenny highlighted the global ageing population, citing projected increases in the population aged 65 and over: a 49% increase in Albania, 41% in China, 34% in France, and 30% in the USA between 2023 and 2100. She noted a widening gap between life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy, with women experiencing a larger gap than men. Mental and substance use disorders, musculoskeletal disease, and unintentional injuries contribute most to years lived with disability in the USA.
Kenny too addressed multimorbidities – the presence of multiple medical conditions – which increase with age. A 2019 study of Irish adults over 50 found a lifetime prevalence of multimorbidity of 73.25%, with only 9.08% having no studied diseases. High cholesterol, arthritis, and hypertension were among the most prevalent comorbidities in males.
Research Highlights from EAHAD 2026
European Study Reveals Burden of Glanzmann Thrombasthenia
A European prospective study presented at EAHAD 2026 provided new insights into Glanzmann thrombasthenia, a rare inherited platelet disorder, highlighting gaps in its management. The ongoing study collects clinical, laboratory, and patient-reported data to improve understanding of the condition. Patients experience lifelong mucocutaneous bleeding and treatments lack standardized dosing guidelines.
As of early 2026, 32 patients were enrolled, with plans to reach 200. 50% were female, representing all major Glanzmann thrombasthenia types. Significant comorbidities were observed, including intracranial bleeds and thrombotic events. Almost half of patients required continuous iron supplementation, and 40% needed medical treatment for bleeding over a recent 4-week period.
The study evaluated bleeding assessment tools, finding traditional lifetime bleeding scores limited for short-term changes. A short-term Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura Bleeding Assessment Tool (ITP-BAT) showed promise for monitoring treatment responses.
MRI-Detected Joint Improvements with Emicizumab Prophylaxis
A prospective, multicentre study evaluated the impact of emicizumab prophylaxis on joint outcomes in children with severe haemophilia A using both clinical measures and MRI. 39 children were included, with 54 joints assessed. After one year of emicizumab, the signify annual bleeding rate decreased significantly (from 50.00 to 0.46, p<0.001), and the mean Haemophilia Joint Health Score improved (from 13 to 8, p<0.001).
MRI evaluation showed significant reductions in joint effusions, synovial hypertrophy, and haemosiderin deposition. 88.9% of joints demonstrated improvement on MRI.
Reference Values Enhance Interpretation of Haemophilia Joint Health Scores
New research introduced age-specific reference values for the Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS), allowing for more contextualized monitoring of joint health. Data from the Canadian Bleeding Disorder Registry (CBDR) were analyzed, generating percentile curves for ages 4–70. These reference values enable clinicians to compare a patient’s HJHS with age-matched peers.
Ribosomal Readthrough Stratifies Inhibitor Risk in F8 Nonsense Mutations
Research explored why some patients with haemophilia A and factor VIII nonsense mutations develop inhibitors. The study focused on ribosomal readthrough – the ribosome bypassing a stop codon – and its potential to produce functional factor VIII. Results showed that patients with mutations allowing wild-type readthrough had a lower risk of inhibitors.
Emicizumab Enables Time-Limited Management in Acquired Haemophilia A
Real-world data suggested that emicizumab provides effective, time-limited haemostatic control in acquired haemophilia A (AHA). A retrospective study of 34 patients found no recurrent bleeding events after initiating emicizumab, with a median treatment duration of 149 days. Higher inhibitor titres at diagnosis were linked to longer treatment duration.
Inhibitor Risk Across FVIII Concentrates in Previously Untreated Patients
An analysis from the PedNet Registry evaluated inhibitor risk associated with individual factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates. While risk was similar across FVIII product classes, Kogenate FS/Helixate NexGen and Fanhdi showed increased risk compared to Advate.
Professor Niamh O’Connell welcomed attendees to Dublin, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and innovation in improving care for those with bleeding disorders. EAHAD 2026 – Hemostasis Today