Benidorm commemorates Rare Disease Day

Benidorm has celebrated today the World Day of Rare Diseases which is commemorated in the five continents, since 2008, on the last day of February.

At noon, in front of the main door of the Town Hall, dozens of people, summoned by AERBECO (Association of Rare Diseases of Benidorm and Region), have gathered to read the 'Manifesto for the world day of rare pathologies', promoted by the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases (FEDER), of which the Benidorm collective is a part.

A reading that has been repeated in many localities of the national geography.

Among those present at the event, a large part of the Municipal Corporation with the mayor, Toni Pérez, and the councilors for Social Welfare and Health, Ángela Llorca and Mónica Gómez, in the lead, who have shown, in this way, their strongest support to the cause defended by AERBECO.

The president of the association, Juan Miguel Martínez, has been in charge of reading the manifesto in which he has advocated promoting a worldwide mobilization that allows positioning the reality of these pathologies on the public agenda.

After the manifesto, Toni Pérez has taken the floor to thank AERBECO for the invitation to participate in the events scheduled. Likewise, he has emphasized that it is "everyone's task" to fight for people who suffer from these diseases, but "above all those who have the capacity, through their responsibility, to change the world."

Toni Pérez has advocated for improving care and "for something as simple" as guaranteeing "a diagnosis to be able to advance in treatment." “That is – he stressed – our hope as a society. Benidorm will always be with you”.

Prior to the reading of the manifesto, AERBECO has set up an information table and has distributed documentation to civil servants and people who have approached the City Council to carry out different administrative procedures.

The association recalls that in the European Union, rare diseases are considered to be those whose prevalence is below 5 per 10,000 inhabitants.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), there are about 7,000 of these ailments that affect 7% of the world population, which when transferred to our country would reach 3 million people.