On 25th February I hosted a reception in Parliament to mark Rare Disease Day 2015 with Rare Disease UK – the national alliance for people with rare diseases and all who support them.
There are around 6,000 recognised rare diseases, and although the number of people affected by each one is small, 1 in 17 people will be affected by a rare disease at some point in their lives – that’s around 3.5 million people in total.
We need to increase awareness about rare diseases, and ensure there are improvements in research, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for those who suffer from them. I was pleased that after a long delay the Government finally published a UK Rare Diseases Strategy last year, and I am absolutely committed to continuing, developing and implementing this Strategy if Labour wins the General Election in May.
You can read more about rare diseases on Rare Disease UK website.
