Need to create awareness about rare diseases in society: CJI Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday emphasised on the need to create awareness about rare diseases among the society, on being empathetic and supportive to such parents and their families regardless of cultural, religious or traditional barriers. He said we can no longer afford to be unaware of genetic diseases. Citing the National Policy of Rare Diseases launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in March 2021, he said that further research is necessary to define the definition of rare diseases and stressed on the need to ensure equitable access to advanced medical therapy like gene therapy in a diverse nation like India. Speaking at the conference organised by Narayana Nethralaya Foundation on Gene therapy and precision medicine, Justice Chandrachud noted, "In a country like India, home to the largest population in the world with over 4,600 distinct population groups, many of which are endogamous, we face a heightened burden of rare diseases. Unfortunately