News Details

World Rare Disease Day is celebrated annually on the last day of February.

This date was instituted by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases and its choice results from the fact that 29 February is a rare day in the calendar.

The initiative aims to raise public awareness of the issue of rare diseases, as well as to give visibility to the work carried out in this area.

In the European Union (EU) a disease is considered rare when the observed prevalence is less than 1 case in every 2,000 people. However, all rare disease patients together comprise some 30 million citizens, or 6% to 8% of the population of Community Europe. In Portugal, there are about 800,000 people with rare diseases and several hundred undiagnosed patients.

It is estimated that there are more than 6000 rare diseases, 80% of which are genetic, and often chronic, and can be life-threatening.

More information: https://eurocid.mne.gov.pt/eventos/dia-mundial-das-doencas-raras.