HEALTH : EUROPE MARKS RARE DISEASE DAY.

• Position: Brief article

Several events were taking place across Europe on 28 February - the International Rare Disease Day - to raise the European public's awareness about rare diseases that afflict some 30 million Europeans.

For example, the European Rare Diseases Organisation EURORDIS hosted a European colloquium on the theme of rare diseases and health inequalities. "Most patients afflicted with rare diseases wait years before getting a precise diagnosis and have to fight to get treatments or to be refunded by health authorities. Others are refused access to specialised services, to invalidity benefit or even to a job or life assurance. EURORDIS hopes to throw a spotlight on these situations," said the Chief Executive Officer of EURORDIS, Yann Le Cam.

The event played host to MEP Antonyia Parvanova (ALDE, Bulgaria) as well as several European Commission officials to...