World Thrombosis Day Campaign Announces Global Winners for its Annual Advocacy Awards

October 11, 2021

CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA, October 11, 2021 — The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) today announced the recipients of two global thrombosis advocacy awards for its World Thrombosis Day campaign, including the World Thrombosis Day Activity of the Year Award and the Ambassador of the Year Award.

For the World Thrombosis Day 2021 Activity of the Year Award, the campaign recognizes Thrombosis UK for its “Let’s Talk Clots” virtual conference and outreach program. The Activity of the Year Award recognizes a World Thrombosis Day partner organization that has shown outstanding effort in developing an engaging and successful activity to raise awareness about thrombosis.Thrombosis UK is a patient awareness and advocacy organization based in the United Kingdom.

From July-November 2020, Thrombosis UK collaborated with regional partners to host a variety of virtual thrombosis awareness programs, totaling a global reach of more than 20 million impressions. Virtual activities included patient support sessions and information meetings, new online resources, accredited webinars and the “Let’s Talk Clots” virtual conference with a plethora of sessions and speakers.

Thrombosis UK also participated in the development of national rapid guidelines produced by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish SIGN Guidance.

Additionally, the World Thrombosis Day campaign named Todd Robertson of Iowa, U.S., as the World Thrombosis Day 2021 Ambassador of the Year in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to achieving the mission of the World Thrombosis Day campaign and for raising awareness about thrombosis through patient support and education.

Robertson is a six-time blood clot survivor who suffers from a clotting condition called Factor V Leiden. Following his multiple diagnoses, Robertson created a blood clot support group on Facebook to help other patients and survivors.

Today, Robertson is an administrator and moderator of six patient support groups on social media totaling more than 40,000 members. He organizes local awareness activities in his home state of Iowa, including a pulmonary embolism survivor bike ride, “Climb for Clots” activity and lunch-and-learn events at local businesses. 

Robertson currently serves on the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) Board of Directors and is a member of the NBCA’s Sports and Wellness Institute.

“It is a great privilege to recognize Todd Robertson and Thrombosis UK for these prestigious awards,” said Prof. Beverley Hunt, OBE, chair of the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee. “The World Thrombosis Day award program is among our most important initiatives as it provides the campaign an opportunity to recognize the tremendous work of thrombosis patient advocates and organizations.”

The World Thrombosis Day campaign has also recognized honorable mention awardees in both award categories. Honorable mention awardees are among the top ranked candidates in their categories.

Debra Bryant (U.S.) received the World Thrombosis Day 2021 Ambassador of the Year Honorable Mention. Two organizations were recognized for the World Thrombosis Day 2021 Activity of the Year Honorable Mention, including the Brazilian Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (Brazil) and Vincere la trombosi Federica Ambassador (Italy).

The award winners were selected following a rigorous review by an award selection sub-group of the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee. The final award recipients were selected by committee members with no affiliation to the candidates.

To learn more about World Thrombosis Day, visit www.worldthrombosisday.org.

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About World Thrombosis Day

Launched in 2014 and held annually on 13 October, World Thrombosis Day (WTD) aims to increase public, healthcare professional and health care systems’ awareness of thrombosis and, ultimately, to reduce deaths and disabilities from thromboembolic disease through a greater awareness of its causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and evidence-based prevention and treatment. WTD’s mission supports the World Health Assembly’s global target of reducing premature deaths by non-communicable disease by 25 percent by 2025, as well as the World Health Organization’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work 2019–2023, the Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs and the Political Declaration of UNGA’ Third High-level Meeting on NCDs. Visit www.worldthrombosisday.org for more information and to get involved.

About the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH)

Founded in 1969, the ISTH is the leading worldwide not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thrombotic and bleeding disorders. ISTH is an international professional membership organization with more than 7,000 clinicians, researchers and educators working together to improve the lives of patients in more than 100 countries around the world. Among its highly regarded activities and initiatives are education and standardization programs, research activities, meetings and congresses, peer-reviewed publications, expert committees and World Thrombosis Day on 13 October. Visit ISTH online at www.isth.org.

Media Inquiries:

Sarah Orzach

Stanton Communications

sorzach@stantoncomm.com

 

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