300 Bahrainis diagnosed with rare diseases, says Ministry

Manama: At least 300 Bahrainis are diagnosed with rare diseases, it was revealed yesterday.

The Health Ministry said that 100 million individuals suffer from rare diseases across the world. According to the Ministry, one person out of every 2,000 people in the world is diagnosed with a rare disease.

“There are 5,000 known rare diseases until now,” the Ministry stated.

These statements came as the Ministry marked the 9th International Rare Disease Day yesterday. Besides Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh, senior healthcare officials, doctors and patients and their families also attended the event.

During the event, it was also revealed that Bahrainis diagnosed with rare diseases are aged between infancy and 35 years. The Ministry said 57 of the 300 Bahrainis suffering from rare diseases have been diagnosed with mitochondrial disease.

“Rare diseases are responsible for 35 per cent of deaths among one-year-olds. 80pc of rare diseases are originally genetic. Symptoms could appear at any age, even though the genetic dysfunction exists since birth,” the Ministry explained.

The Minister said the International Rare Disease Day is marked to raise more awareness about such diseases and its impact on people’s lives.

“Few people know about such diseases and how to deal with it. The Ministry and the Supreme Council for Health are constantly following up with the latest developments in regards to rare diseases and they are taking the necessary procedures to prevent them from spreading in the Kingdom,” Al Saleh stated.

“We’re also inviting foreign expertise in the field of rare diseases to treat local cases, especially among newborns, and to train Bahraini medical cadres,” she added.

Other local and international experts attended the event and spoke about the latest development achieved in the fields of protection from and treatment of rare diseases.