Rare Disease Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

Rare Disease Day

WHEREAS, there are more than 10,000 diseases and conditions considered rare by the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and

WHEREAS, while each of these diseases may affect small numbers of people, rare diseases as a group affect almost 30 million Americans; and

WHEREAS, many rare diseases are serious and debilitating conditions that have significant impact on the lives of those affected; and

WHEREAS, while more than 800 drugs and biologics have been approved for the treatment of rare diseases according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), millions of Americans still have rare diseases for which there is no approved treatment; and

WHEREAS, individuals and families affected by rare diseases often experience problems such as diagnosis delay, difficulty finding a medical expert, lack of access to treatments or ancillary services, and a personal financial burden for care; and

WHEREAS, while the public is familiar with some rare diseases, many patients and families affected by less widely known rare diseases bear a large share of the burden of funding research and raising public awareness to support the search for treatments; and

WHEREAS, rare diseases affect ten percent of Americans, and many Virginians are among those affected by rare diseases;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Abigail Spanberger, do hereby recognize February 28, 2026, as RARE DISEASE DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.