Our fortitude of living a healthy life continuously face challenges by the multifarious defiant diseases pushing our opulence into mayhem. While living with illness lay a colossal encumbrance on patient and the family even after having diagnostic tools and treatment options available, possessing a rare disease of which 95% do not yet have any treatments shatter the patient completely. Trivial target population size even makes the case of rare disease affected more critical for being heard and known compared to other conspicuous diseases, though 2/3 of rare disease affected are children.

Celebration of “Rare Disease Day” hence carrying the quintessential purpose of unfurling the worldwide cognizance and trying to acquire the abutment of any kind towards improving the livelihood of the affected. First observed on 29^th February, 2008 in European nations and in Canada, the date for “Rare Disease Day” was prudently chosen keeping the rarest day in mind. Observance on last day of February every year, “Rare Disease Day’ celebration also reminds us about 300 million diseased warriors suffering from more than 7000 rare diseases who require strong advocacy for more resources, dedicated scientific investigation and innovation along with translational medical advancements clubbing with strategic enactment and collaborative endeavours.

Often taking several years to be diagnosed, almost 72% of rare diseases are genetic enduring unfathomed complexity to live with. Through the celebration of “Rare Disease Day” we need to address the challenges associated with rare disease awareness, sustained scientific innovation and public policies that support research and development and access to new therapies to transform the lives of patients with rare diseases.

In this context, we, the members of DAITM family taking the opportunity to celebrate “Rare Disease Day” and aligning ourselves with the campaign of Rare Disease Day 2024 – “Unite for Change! Unite for Equity!” towards the goal of achieving resilience, hope and turning pain and grief into perseverance.

#Rare Disease Day #Unite for change! Unite for equity! #DAITM

Dr. Nilanjan Das

Associate Professor

Department of Medical Lab. Technology

Dinabandhu Andrews Institute of Technology and Management