Awareness campaign on rare diseases in kids launched

The city-based JK Lone Hospital and Lysosomal Storage Disorder Support Society (LSDSS) launched a campaign today to create awareness about rare diseases in children.
Under the campaign titled 'Ek Prayas', awareness will be created about rare forms of cancer, auto-immune disorders, metabolic disorders, congenital anomalies and infectious disease.
Dr Ashok Gupta, Superintendent of the hospital, said that awareness of rare diseases is largely non-existent and the campaign will help in disseminating information and knowledge about them.
He informed that 62 cases of rare diseases have been reported in the state's first rare disease clinic at the JK Lone hospital, which was started in April this year.

Dr Gupta said that in the last five years, 24 patients have been diagnosed with one of the rare diseases, lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs).
Five have lost their lives and others are suffering from severe medical condutions due to non-availabilty of Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) to them despite the availability of drugs, Gupta said.
Under the campaign, people as well as medical practitioners in the state will be made aware of such rare diseases.