What is rare disease day?
Rare Disease Day is the official international awareness-raising campaign for rare diseases which takes place on the last day of February each year. The main objective of the campaign is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. Rare Disease Day was launched by EURORDIS Rare Diseases Europe and its Council of National Alliances in 2008.
There are over 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease. Together across borders, and across the 6000+ rare diseases we work towards more equitable access to diagnosis, treatment, care and social opportunity.
300 million people living with a rare disease worldwide
- Over 6000 different rare diseases
- 72% of rare diseases are genetic
- 70% of those genetic rare diseases start in childhood.
