Experts call for strong strategies for improving diagnosis and facilitating research and development of rare disease therapies in the UAE, examining the current status of orphan diseases and the limited range of associated treatments currently available in the Middle East. While talking at a panel discussion titled “Rare Diseases and Genetics in the Middle East” conducted in Dubai on Thursday, the experts emphasised that it’s becoming increasingly crucial to adopt preventive strategies and identify feasible treatments for orphan diseases. The rare diseases, also referred to as “orphan diseases,” is any disease affecting a small percentage of the population. Up to 50 per cent of children with “Down’s Syndrome” in the region are estimated to be born to mothers aged 40 or more, revealed a study. The “Down’s Syndrome” affects 1.2 to 1.7 per 1,000 children in industrialised countries and the incidence is relatively higher in the Arab world due to the growing proportion of births to older mothers. However, the UAE has made considerable effort to protect the community from rare and genetic diseases, said Dr Amin Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for Medical Practice and Licence Sector at the UAE Ministry of Health. Citing an example, he added: “Applying the pre-marriage examination for couples was the most important programme adopted by the UAE to prevent the transmission of genetic diseases from the couples to their children. “The UAE has also supported programmes related to early diagnosis and the development of treatment. These are just some of the efforts that have positioned the UAE among the top countries in the world that are committed to contain the incidence of rare diseases,” noted Dr Amiri. From gulftoday