Rare diseases
and self-help
In the EU, a disease is considered rare if it affects no more than 5 in 100,000 people. However, there are a large number of people affected, as there are more than 6,000 rare diseases in total.
Those affected by an RD often cannot set up a classic regional self-help group because there are too few affected people in their region. The self-help office can also help with national networking and with setting up online group meetings.