A total of 25,000 people out of 1.2 million with rare diseases are offered free healthcare services by the Rare Diseases Foundation of Iran, said Ali Davoudian, head the foundation. “So far, 58 unusual diseases have been identified in the country. However, at present, medical support is only provided to patients suffering from the most common ones including muscular dystrophy, celiac and EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa),” IRNA quoted him as saying. A disease is defined as rare in Iran as long as the number of patients suffering from the disorder has not exceeded 40,000 among the country’s population of 80 million, he said.
