Rare Disease Day celebrations first began in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in 2013. Events have included shopping mall demonstrations engaging the general public, a round table discussion, workshops and a press conference on rare diseases. These have prompted the start of discussions for a National Strategy for Rare Diseases.
In the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, for Rare Disease Day 2018 they dedicated the first postal stamp in the world to rare diseases to raise public awareness of the challenges that families face. Earlier, in December 2017, members of a diving club once again decorated the underwater Christmas Tree with the Rare Disease Day flag. In addition, people in the FYROM raised awareness by taking part in the #ShowYourRare face painting campaign at schools and through extra educational lectures on rare diseases for medical students.
Celebrations of Rare Disease Day 2020 in North Macedonia saw hand painting, a fun family event, Round Table discussion on newborn screening and a ‘Learning about Rare Diseases’ campaign shared through videos, audio and web presentations.
Do you know of any events not listed here? Or would you like to get involved? Email us at [email protected].