Rare Disease Day at NIH 2024

Thursday, February 29, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm (registration required)

Natcher Conference Center (NIH Building 45); and NIH videocast

Rare Disease Day® takes place worldwide, typically on or near the last day of February each year, to raise awareness among policymakers and the public about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. Since 2011, NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and the NIH Clinical Center have sponsored Rare Disease Day at NIH as part of this global observance. Rare Disease Day at NIH aims to raise awareness about rare diseases, the people they affect, and NIH collaborations that address scientific challenges and advance research for new treatments.

The goals of Rare Disease Day at NIH are to:

Demonstrate the NIH commitment to helping people with rare diseases through research.
Highlight NIH-supported rare diseases research and the development of diagnostics and treatments.
Initiate a mutually beneficial dialogue among the rare diseases community.
Exchange the latest rare diseases information with stakeholders to advance research and therapeutic efforts.
Shine a spotlight on stories told by patients living with a rare disease, their families, and their communities.

Rare Disease Day at NIH seeks to bring together a broad audience including patients, patient advocates, caregivers, health care providers, researchers, trainees, students, industry representatives, and government staff. Attendees are expected to exercise professionalism, consideration, and respect when speaking, posting, and communicating with others.

The event agenda will feature panel discussions, rare diseases stories, in-person exhibitors and scientific posters, and an art exhibition. The event is free and open to the public.