Rare Disease Day

Den 28. februar 2011 markeres Rare Disease Day for fjerde gang. Også PHA Norge vil delta i denne markeringen og vi kommer tilbake med mer informasjon om hvordan dette vil skje. PHA Europe har det overordnede ansvaret for kampanjen, og her følger en pressemelding fra dem vedrørende «breathtaking» kampanjen:


Countdown to February 28: Get ready for a Breathtaking Rare Disease Day


On February 28, 2011 PHA Europe will be launching a ‘breathtaking’ public awareness campaign. The campaign, which is supported by Bayer HealthCare, launches on the 4thannual Rare Disease Day, coordinated by the European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).  

Designed to demonstrate the true impact of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), the campaign focuses on the more rare type of PH, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) using powerful imagery to communicate the severity of the disease. In this way it highlights the fact that early, accurate diagnosis, awareness and treatments are urgently needed to improve the lives of people living with all types of PH.

International launch events will take place in Brussels and Vienna, selected because Brussels is the seat of European health policy institutions and the venue of Rare Disease Day organisers EURODIS and NORD; and Vienna is the head office of PHA Europe, with one of the strongest support networks for PH across Europe. As commuters climb flights of stairs in Brussels Central Station and travel through busy Schwedenplatz in Vienna their attention will be grabbed by posters unveiling the symptoms of PH. Thought provoking activities in both locations reflect the difficulties that patients with PAH face on a daily basis.

Leading cardiologists and several PH patients as well as representatives from PHA Europe, will be interviewed by key media to provide their perspectives on this life threatening condition. Please watch out for Breathtaking reviews in the news in the coming weeks!

In addition to the events in Brussels and Vienna, national events and activities will take place in a host of countries across Europe including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Italy and outside of Europe in Latin America. This will help to ensure that the campaign’s important messages reach as many people as possible.

Please get involved and support the campaign by visiting our Facebook page and sending your friends a ‘blue kiss’. For more information about the Breathtaking campaign, please contact Pisana Ferrari: p.ferrari@phaeurope.org or Maria Patey: maria.patey@ketchumpleon.com

© Hall Skåra 2011