The Director of IDiBE-UMH, Professor Antonio Ferrer, participated in the PCUMH Debate organized by the Science Park of Miguel Hernández University, focused on the reality and challenges of low-prevalence diseases on the occasion of World Rare Disease Day.
During the discussion, speakers emphasized the urgent need to place these conditions at the center of social, healthcare, and political agendas, as well as to strengthen research efforts, funding, and public awareness.
Rare diseases are not exceptional by nature, but by their low prevalence. Nevertheless, they affect millions of people worldwide and present complex challenges:
🔬 Difficulties in diagnosis, particularly in adult populations
💊 Limitations in treatment development due to the small number of patients
👨👩👧 A crucial role of families in driving research forward
🤝 The need for international and multidisciplinary collaboration
Professor Ferrer highlighted the ethical responsibility to advance research regardless of the number of affected individuals and underscored the fundamental role of science in improving diagnosis, developing therapies, and offering hope to patients and their families.
At IDiBE-UMH, we reaffirm our commitment to biomedical research aimed at generating real societal health impact, including for those conditions that, due to their low prevalence, have historically remained underrecognized.
Raising awareness, advancing research, and fostering collaboration are essential to ensure that no one is left behind.