Rare Disease Advocates Raise Awareness at California State House for Rare Disease Day

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Feb. 26, 2015 - PRLog -- Join rare disease patients, caregivers and other health care advocates in California on March 2, 2015 to raise important awareness for rare diseases as part of Rare Disease Day®.

During the event, patients and advocates will come together to articulate with one voice the shared message that millions of people around the world are suffering and need our help.  Our patients need earlier diagnosis; safe, effective treatments; and assured access to medical care and other services.

Many important decisions related to rare diseases are made at the state level, including newborn screening; support services to help families cope with complex medical needs; an environment that promotes innovative medical research and product development; and insurance practices that assure patient access to medically-necessary therapies.  The implementation of the Affordable Care Act has highlighted the increasingly important role of state policies and programs in assuring that the health care needs of Americans are addressed.

The event will be held on the North Steps of the Sacramento State Capitol at 10:00am. Speakers include Will Zrnchik, CEO, International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation, Peter Saltonstall, President and CEO, National Orginzation for Rare Disorders, and 2015 Rare Disease Day Resolution co-sponsor Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian. Immediately afterwards, people are encouraged to join speakers, patient advocacy organizations, and others to hear patient stories inside the Capitol, Conference Room #126.

The event is organized by patient advocates who have joined with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)®, a leading independent, non-profit organization committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare diseases, and national sponsor of Rare Disease Day in the U.S., to educate and inform the public, elected officials, legislative staff and the media.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a disease is rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 Americans.  One in 10 Americans live with a rare disease—affecting 30 million people—and two-thirds of these patients are children.  There are more than 7,000 rare diseases and only approximately 450 FDA-approved medical treatments.  Many diseases are not being studied by medical researchers.  Often, research gets funded by the families and friends of patients or by patient organizations.

Rare Disease Day is an annual awareness day celebrated around the world dedicated to elevating public understanding of rare diseases and calling attention to the special challenges faced by patients.  Rare Disease Day takes place every year on the last day of February (February 28 or February 29 in a leap year)—the rarest date on the calendar—to underscore the nature of rare diseases and what patients face.  It was established in Europe in 2008 by EURORDIS, the organization representing rare disease patients in Europe, and is now observed in more than 80 nations.

For more information about Rare Disease Day in the U.S., go to www.rarediseaseday.us.  For information about global activities, visit www.rarediseaseday.org).  To search for information about rare diseases, visit NORD’s website, www.rarediseases.org.