The 17th edition of Rare Disease Day took place on a leap year, on 29 February 2024. Over 75 countries and regions participated, organising more than 670 events, all of which were registered on the Rare Disease Day website.

This year’s campaign saw growth as six new National Alliance partners joined: Rare Diseases Bulgaria, Federación Ecuatoriana de Enfermedades Raras o Poco Frecuentes (Ecuador), Rare Diseases Society of Nepal, Centre Alliance (Rwanda), and Thai Rare Disease Foundation (Thailand).

Many countries took part in Light Up for Rare, with significant landmarks in Malta and Gozo illuminated to raise awareness. In Australia alone, 60 landmarks were lit up thanks to the efforts of Rare Voices Australia. Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science, as well as the Duna Arena and Fisherman’s Bastion in Hungary, were also illuminated as part of the Global Chain of Lights initiative.

The official 2024 Rare Disease Day video was made available in 61 languages.

Rare Disease Day 2024 received extensive media coverage from national and international outlets, highlighting key events, policy discussions, and patient stories. These included The Parliament Magazine, PMLiVE, The Economic Times, India TV News, among many others.

On Rare Disease Day 2024 alone, there were 31,600 mentions, reaching approximately 69 million people on social media. Over the course of the entire campaign, nearly 50,000 mentions were recorded, with an estimated 95 million people reached.

The Rare on Air series highlighted powerful personal stories submitted to the Rare Disease Day website, showcasing strength and unity within the community. From January until Rare Disease Day 2024, nine short episodes were released weekly, with the best-performing episode reaching 100 listens.