1 person in 20 is affected by a rare disease

1 person in 20 is affected by a rare disease! 

Today is a World Rare Disease Day 2013!

Life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases – mostly inherited – that affect so few people that combined efforts are needed to:

• reduce the number of people contracting the diseases
• prevent newborns and young children dying from them
• preserve sufferers' quality of life and socio-economic potential.

In EU countries, any disease affecting fewer than 5 people in 10 000 is considered rare. That number may seem small, but it translates into approximately 246 000 people throughout the EU's 27 member countries. Most patients suffer from even rarer diseases affecting 1 person in 100 000 or more.

It is estimated that today in the EU, 5-8000 distinct rare diseases affect 6-8% of the population – between 27 and 36 million people.