Rare Disease Day takes place each year on the last day of February; 72 per cent of rare diseases are genetic, says Study

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Feb 28, 2021

1:46PM

Rare Disease Day takes place each year on the last day of February; 72 per cent of rare diseases are genetic, says Study

AIR

Over 300 million people are living with one or more of around 6,000 identified rare diseases around the world according to a study. Currently, around 3.5 - 5.9 per cent of the worldwide population are affected by the same.

72 per cent of rare diseases are genetic while others are the result of infections (bacterial or viral), allergies and environmental causes. 70 per cent of genetic rare diseases start in childhood.

The Rare diseases awareness campaign targets primarily the general public and also seeks to raise awareness amongst policymakers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases.

The first Rare Disease Day was observed in 2008 on 29 February, a ‘rare’ date that happens only once every four years. Ever since then, Rare Disease Day has taken place on the last day of February, a month known for having a ‘rare’ number of days.