In observation of Rare Disease day, the Ministry of Health (MOH), as represented by the Pharmaceutical Care General Department, carried out on Sunday various awareness and educational activities and programs in all hospitals of various regions and health complexes. This initiative is a continuation of MOH’s keenness on supporting this segment of patients to help them overcome all difficulties and provide proper health care for them. The activities included virtual lectures for pharmacists inside hospitals to discuss rare diseases, how they are contracted, and ways to treat them.
Some of the most prominent rare diseases include: Hemophilia, which is one of the many genetic diseases that cause an imbalance in the body and prevents it from controlling and stopping bleeding when any injury occurs, even if it’s mild.
Another disease is methylmalonic acidemias, which is a genetic metabolic disease resulting from a defect in the breakdown or creation of an acid named methylmalone. This is a result of a deficiency of a specific enzyme in the body; which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances. Another prominent rare disease is Mucopolysaccharidosis. It is a group of hereditary diseases caused by a defect in the so-called lysosome, which is the part responsible for burning unwanted substances inside the cells. They are also known as “storage diseases” where the body is unable to sweep, burn and break substances.
Moreover, Kawasaki disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome), is a systemic inflammation of small and medium-sized blood vessels that affects their walls. This may cause the arterial expansion, especially in the coronary arteries which supply the heart with blood. It also affects many organs (such as the skin, lymph nodes, and mucous membranes).