On February 28, 2026, communities around the world observed Rare Disease Day, an annual event held on the last day of February to raise awareness and promote advocacy for individuals living with rare diseases. Globally, an estimated 300 million people live with one of more than 10,000 identified rare diseases. In the United States, a disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people. While each condition is uncommon individually, rare diseases collectively affect 1 in 10 Americans, including approximately 1.8 million New Yorkers.
Rare diseases are often difficult to diagnose and may have limited treatment options. Individuals and families frequently face challenges accessing timely diagnosis, specialized care, treatment, and support services. Rare Disease Day highlights these challenges while promoting research, equity, and improved access to care.
The Wadsworth Center plays a critical role in addressing rare diseases through its Newborn Screening Program. The program screens all infants born in New York State for more than 50 rare diseases. The goal of newborn screening is to identify infants at risk for serious but treatable conditions at birth – before symptoms appear – when early intervention can prevent severe complications or death. Each year, the program screens more than 205,000 infants and identifies over 650 newborns with a rare disease, or approximately 1 in every 300 births. Early diagnosis enables timely treatment, improves long-term health outcomes, and reduces the overall healthcare burden on families and communities.