World Thrombosis Day Campaign Commemorates Fifth Anniversary and Reaches Billions in Effort to Raise Awareness of Life-Threatening Blood Clots

Record-Breaking Global Education Campaign Achieves Increased Awareness of the Risk Factors, Signs, and Symptoms of Thrombosis

 

CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA, (October 9, 2018) — The World Thrombosis Day (WTD) campaign commemorates its fifth year on October 13 with the largest global engagement effort yet to inform and educate the general public, healthcare professionals and policymakers about the little-known but potentially deadly condition of thrombosis. One in four people worldwide are dying of conditions caused by thrombosis – the formation of blood clots in an artery or vein — yet many people remain unaware of its risks, signs and symptoms.

In five years, the World Thrombosis Day campaign has grown to reach more than 2.7 billion people with more than 9,000 activities in over 100 countries. The campaign has produced more than five peer-reviewed papers demonstrating the worldwide burden of thrombosis and a lack of awareness of the condition among both healthcare providers and the general public. Beyond the research, WTD has built a community of inspiration for patients, survivors and their loved ones, collecting thousands of survivor stories and selfies, educational videos, and powerful testimonies that illustrate the impact of thrombosis worldwide.

“World Thrombosis Day has made incredible progress in shedding light on thrombosis since the campaign began five years ago — yet the seriousness of the issue is still underappreciated,” said Dr. Gary Raskob, PhD, Chairman of the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the more than 1,500 campaign partners in over 100 countries who are joining us to build awareness and activate change – which will ultimately help save lives.”

Recognized annually on 13 October, WTD is a global movement, led by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), that spotlights the underlying cause of the world’s top three cardiovascular killers: heart attack, stroke, and venous thromboembolism (VTE), a condition in which blood clots form (most often) in the deep veins of the leg (known as deep vein thrombosis, DVT) and can travel in the circulation and lodge in the lungs (known as pulmonary embolism, PE).

The WTD campaign has been honored with numerous global awards, including: 2017 International and European Association Awards (Best Social Media Campaign); 2017 ICCA/BestCities Incredible Impacts Award; 2017 PRSA Thoth Award (Events & Observances); 2017 PRSA Thoth Award (Global Communications); 2016 ASAE Power of A Gold Award; 2016 PRSA Silver Anvil Award; and 2016 ASAE Gold Circle Merit Award.

To learn more about the WTD campaign, visit WorldThrombosisDay.org.