Our Story
World Thrombosis Day: An Award-Winning, Collaborative Global Movement
World Thrombosis Day is an international campaign devoted to shining a spotlight on the condition of thrombosis. It draws attention to the signs, symptoms and risk factors of thrombosis, a condition that contributes to the deaths of 1 in 4 people worldwide each year. World Thrombosis Day is a year-long campaign that takes place on October 13 annually. In 2023, World Thrombosis Day will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Read more about our impact, here.
World Thrombosis Day takes place every year on October 13, the birthday of Rudolf Virchow who was a pioneer in the pathophysiology of thrombosis.
A German physician, pathologist, biologist and anthropologist, Virchow developed the concept of “thrombosis” and advanced our understanding of this condition. He pioneered the modern concept of pathological processes by his application of the cell theory to explain the effects of disease in the organs and tissues of the body. He emphasized that diseases arose, not in organs or tissues in general, but primarily in their individual cells. Moreover, he campaigned vigorously for social reforms and contributed to the development of anthropology as a modern science.
World Thrombosis Day was founded in 2014 by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) in response to members’ requests for a focused global awareness day on thrombosis.
Led by a global scientific steering committee chaired by Gary Raskob, Ph.D., more than 175 organizations worldwide participated in the first day, raising much-needed visibility of the condition through special events, educational forums, widespread media coverage and social media. Learn more about the ISTH at www.ISTH.org.
Did you know that the campaign logo was designed by a patient?
When the World Thrombosis Day campaign was founded, Pantep Angchaisuksiri, M.D., member of the campaign Steering Committee from Thailand, invited his patient to design a symbol to brand the campaign. The patient, Ekawat Suwantaroj, created a design that represented both the artery (red color) and the vein (blue color) with a clot (white circle). That design has become the well-known World Thrombosis Day symbol that is used today to represent the campaign across the globe.
Thrombosis, commonly known as blood clots, is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In fact, one in four people worldwide die from conditions related to blood clots—a significant driver in morbidity and mortality.
Sitting for a long time without getting up and walking around can cause blood to pool in the veins, which can lead to blood clots. An individual can lower his or her risk of getting a blood clot by getting up and moving at least once an hour. Movement, including stretching, walking or any type of exercise, improves circulation and lowers the risk for clotting.
Invite the community to raise awareness about the risk factors, signs and symptoms and to seek immediate medical attention if needed. Let’s work together and move against thrombosis!
Learn more about our campaign theme “Move Against Thrombosis” here.
Each year, the campaign is evaluated for its reach and influence.
The World Thrombosis Day campaign brings together more than 5,000 partners across 123 countries. The campaign continues to grow each year through global events, activities, resource creation and sharing, educational opportunities, social media outreach and more. Each year, the campaign publishes its impact report in December to share highlights and outcomes.
About the World Thrombosis Day Campaign
If you have any questions, contact the WTD campaign at wtd@isth.org.
