NORD Announces #1in10 Campaign to Raise Awareness for Rare Disease Day® on February 28
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)®, a leading independent, non-profit organization committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare disorders and official U.S. sponsor of Rare Disease Day® on February 28, announces a new social media campaign, #1in10, to raise awareness for the 1 in 10 Americans living with a rare disease.
"It's astounding that there are just as many Americans living with a rare disease as there are people who are left-handed," said Lisa Phelps, director of marketing and community relations at NORD. "We are launching this campaign for everyone who has a rare disease, their families, caregivers, nurses and doctors to help raise important awareness for this major public health issue and the need for safe, new treatments."
For the 7,000 known rare diseases, less than 400 have FDA-approved treatments. There are 30 million Americans who have a rare disease—defined as one that affects fewer than 200,000 people—and two-thirds of these patients are children. Many rare diseases are chronic and life-threatening.
Rare Disease Day takes place every year on the last day of February (February 28 or February 29 in a leap year), the rarest date on the calendar, to underscore the nature of rare diseases and the challenges patients face. The worldwide awareness day was established in Europe in 2008 by EURORDIS, the organization representing rare disease patients in Europe, and is now observed in more than 80 nations.
To help support the #1in10 campaign, NORD has launched the Instagram account, @rarediseasedayUS. Instagrammers are invited to tag @rarediseasedayUS in their photos and celebrations to share what's happening now for Rare Disease Day. Instragram members are invited to use the official Rare Disease Day hashtags #RDD2015 and #RareDiseaseDay and follow Rare Disease Day on Facebook (/RareDiseaseDay.US) and Twitter (@RareDayUS).
About Rare Disease Day
Rare Disease Day® is an international, awareness-raising event that takes place on the last day of February each year (February 28 or February 29 in leap years), the rarest day on the calendar. It is the one day every year when countries and patients around the world come together to raise awareness of the 7,000 rare diseases and the challenges faced by people living with rare diseases. Established in Europe in 2008 by EURORDIS, Rare Disease Day has grown to include more than 80 countries and thousands of patient organizations that host events around the world. In 2009, EURORDIS asked NORD to launch Rare Disease Day to the U.S. Learn more at http://rarediseaseday.us/ and on Twitter at @RareDayUS.
About NORD
Established in 1983, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the primary nonprofit organization representing all patients and families affected by rare diseases in the U.S. It provides programs of advocacy, education, research and patient/family services to improve the lives of all people living with rare diseases. NORD represents more than 200 disease-specific member organizations and partners with many other organizations in specific causes of importance to the rare disease patient community. Follow NORD at www.rarediseases.org/ and on Twitter at @RareDiseases.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150213/175557-INFO
SOURCE National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
Related Links
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article