CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA, JANUARY 23, 2019 – The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) today announced that Beverley Hunt, M.D., has been named the new incoming chair of the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee. She takes the helm following the successful chairmanship of Gary Raskob, Ph.D., founding chair of the Steering Committee.
Hunt is a Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis at King's College in London, UK, and a consultant at Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals, managing a thrombosis unit and working in hematology, pathology and rheumatology. She is an international expert in thrombosis and acquired bleeding disorders. Hunt founded Thrombosis UK, which successfully campaigned to ensure all patients in English hospitals receive adequate thromboprophylaxis, and is working with the Welsh and Scottish health departments to do the same. She has served as a member of the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee since 2014 and is the Chair of the ISTH 2022 Congress to be held in London.
“This is an exciting time of tremendous growth for the award-winning World Thrombosis Day campaign,” said Claire McLintock, M.D., ISTH President. “As the new Steering Committee chair, Beverley brings an extensive background in the global dissemination of thrombosis science and education and offers an innovative, relatable approach to awareness building that will propel the movement to even greater heights, which will help to save lives from potentially deadly blood clots.”
She will work closely with World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee members representing 10 countries across the world to advance the campaign’s mission of increasing global awareness about thrombosis and ultimately reduce death and disability caused by the condition.
Hunt continues the leadership of Gary Raskob who served as the inaugural World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee chair since 2014 and spearheaded the campaign’s growth to more than 1,500 partners facilitating more than 10,000 events and activities annually. At the close of Raskob’s tenure, the World Thrombosis Day campaign secured more than three billion impressions in the campaign’s fifth year (2018). Raskob is Dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (USA).
“I am a passionate advocate for thrombosis awareness, education, prevention and treatment, so it is an honor to serve in this important leadership role for the global thrombosis community,” Hunt said. “The campaign has made tremendous strides over the past five years as a result of Gary Raskob’s excellent leadership, and I look forward to continuing that success and fostering an innovative path forward. My goal is to inspire our international community of advocates to join us in building awareness and galvanizing change across the world.”
To learn more about World Thrombosis Day and get involved, visit www.worldthrombosisday.org.
About World Thrombosis Day
Launched in 2014 by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 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 WHO global action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in the 2013-2020 timeframe. Visit www.worldthrombosisday.org for more information and to get involved.
About the ISTH
Founded in 1969 and celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the ISTH is the leading worldwide medical-scientific professional 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 5,000 clinicians, researchers and educators working together to improve the lives of patients in nearly 100 countries around the world. Among its highly regarded activities and initiatives are education and standardization programs such as clinical practice guidelines, research activities; meetings and congresses, peer-reviewed publications, expert committees and World Thrombosis Day on 13 October. Visit ISTH online at www.isth.org/.
Related: BSH interview with Beverley Hunt on World Thrombosis Day 2018