Experts call for policies on rare diseases

Experts at an international seminar held over the weekend at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University called for legislation and related policies on the prevention and treatment of rare diseases.

It is estimated that more than 10 million people in China have rare diseases.

A rare disease, also known as an orphan disease, is any disease that affects between 0.65 and 1 percent of the population. About 80 percent of rare diseases are genetic, and many appear early in life.