Nonmalignant blood disorders currently affect millions of Americans, and their prevalence is
expected to grow over the next several decades. This is owing to improvements in treatment leading
to increased life expectancy of people with hereditary conditions, like sickle cell disease and
hemophilia, but also the rising occurrence of risk factors for venous thromboembolism. The lack of
adequate surveillance systems to monitor these conditions and their associated health indicators is
a significant barrier to successfully assess, inform, and measure prevention efforts and progress
toward national health goals. CDC is strengthening surveillance activities for blood disorders by
improving and developing new methods that are tailored to best capture and monitor the
epidemiologic characteristics unique to each disorder. These activities will provide a robust
evidence base for public health action to improve the health of patients affected by or at risk for
these disorders.