An image of a girl's face being painted with rare disease day stripes in green, pink and blue.

100 days until Rare Disease Day 2019!

The countdown to Rare Disease Day 2019 has officially begun. The 12th edition of Rare Disease Day will take place on 28 February 2019. The day will see members of the rare disease community from patients and their families, to researchers and policy makers join together to raise awareness for rare diseases all over the world.

Start planning for 28 February!

The Rare Disease Day 2019 campaign is already well underway and its time to share the Rare Disease Day activities you’re planning in your country with the rare disease community worldwide! 

There are plenty of ways for everyone to get involved! See below for some inspiration:

A spotlight on care

This year’s theme for Rare Disease Day is ‘Bridging health and social care

There are over 6000 rare diseases currently known with many out there still undiagnosed. Better coordinated health and social care help the more than 300 million people living with a rare disease and their families to face everyday challenges.

By focusing on bridging the gap between health and social care, Rare Disease Day 2019 is an opportunity to call for the improved and continuous coordination of all health, social and community care services to ensure these services are effective, accessible and serve the best interest of rare disease patients worldwide.

Show Your Rare

Want to have some fun for Rare Disease Day 2019? Then you can show your rare and paint your face!

Join the #ShowYourRare face paint social media campaign in support of Rare Disease Day 2019. Take part in the campaign throughout the month of February by painting your face and sharing your selfie on social media using the hashtags #ShowYourRare and #RareDiseaseDay! Support the rare disease community – Show your rare, show you care!

Alternatively, if you prefer not to paint your face, there are many other ways to get involved in the campaign:

Stay tuned for the launch of the Rare Disease Day 2019 poster and videos!