A PROMISE FOR PEOPLE WITH RARE DISEASES

From AI diagnostics to newborn screening, the region can shorten the long road to diagnosis

- BY PELIN INCESU | Special to Gulf News

Imagine feeling unwell and seeking professional help, yet no one can tell you what is wrong, even after years of tests.

For most people, a visit to the doctor results in an answer within days. But for the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease, half of whom are children, this process takes an average of five years.

Even when a diagnosis is finally made, fewer than 10 per cent of rare conditions have an approved treatment. However, medical advances alongside growing awareness are driving new solutions for people living with rare diseases globally. In 2025, Ministers of Health from around the world united at the World Health Assembly (WHA) to pass a landmark agreement on rare diseases. It was a turning point that shifted rare diseases from an overlooked concern to a global health priority.

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