Awareness drive on rare diseases begins

Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences will launch the campaign today. There are more than 6,000 rare diseases from around the world. Eighty per cent of them are genetic and 50 per cent of the diseases affect children. Prof Najeeb Al Khaja, Secretary-General of the Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, said that light should be shed on the issue of rare diseases, the importance of early detection and ways of supporting patients with these kinds of diseases. “Due to lack of medical research, it is difficult to diagnose a lot of rare diseases or to identify their causes and symptoms,” he said. “Treatment is also very expensive.” Dr Fatima Bastaki, Consultant Pediatrics and Clinical Genetics and head of the drive’s organising committee, said the UAE will celebrate the day in conjunction with 40 countries around the world. An exhibition of products hand-made by children of the Shaikha Maitha bint Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Special Needs in Hatta will be held. The ceremony will conclude with a motorcycle parade starting from the main gate of Children’s City at Creek Park.