Rare disease Day is a global awareness campaign that takes place on the last day of February each year. This annual event is geared towards creating awareness on the impact that rare diseases have on over 300 million people around the world.

The campaign targets primarily the general public and also seeks to raise awareness amongst policy makers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases.

The inaugural Rare Disease Day in Kenya was held on February 2014, and the awareness campaign has since gained momentum attracting different stakeholders from the general public to healthcare and scientific professionals and even decision makers.

The day provides an opportunity for patients, family and friends to interact and share on different experiences and challenges.

For advocates of rare diseases, Rare Disease Day is an opportunity to create, and increase, awareness in the general public, and with policymakers, around the need for research, increasing equity and raising the patient voice as stipulated by the various Rare Disease Day themes over the years.