Pediatric Oncology

1. What You Should Know About Orphan Disease What exactly is an orphan disease? Perhaps, you are thinking about diseases affecting children without parents. However, that is not what this term means. Some people do not realize that there are diseases called orphan diseases which many people do not pay attention to or are not aware of their existence. There is the kind of illness that research and funding are not going into, and there is no search for causes and the treatments. Surprisingly, there are thousands of these types of diseases throughout the world, and they are not being given attention. Thousands of people are dying from them every year. However, these diseases are in small groups, so it is still classed as something that really is not in the public glare. Because of no drugs or treatment, the individual that is suffering from the orphan disease has really nowhere to turn. Some doctors are unaware of the disease too. Another fact about an orphan disease is that there is such a low number of people suffering from these orphan diseases when compared with some known diseases like cancer, making Pharmaceutical Companies to be uninterested in any research into this type of disease. Probably they think it is not going to generate a big income for them. Also, many of the orphan diseases are genetic in nature, making them even harder to research. Will creating awareness work?

2. There is the need to raise awareness and educate people throughout the world about the existence of orphan diseases. It is only by creating awareness that the plight of the small number of people suffering from them can come to the limelight with a view of finding a solution. Social media platforms can do much to bring much awareness. Posts on various social channels and online interest groups will go a long way in creating the much-needed awareness for this class of disease. Of course, there is also the need for pressure groups to give attention to orphan diseases with a view of forcing pharmaceutical companies to go into research and find appropriate drugs to combat them. Non-governmental organizations should also be willing to create awareness and provide avenue for interested individuals, companies, or organizations willing to support the cause with generous donations. With so many NGOs and willing donors, there should be no difficulty funding research and treatment for an orphan disease.