Terminology of rare diseases across various countries

The definition of rare diseases or rare health conditions in different nations is based on the disease prevalence and the national population. The word rare signifies that a particular disease or an ailment is not a common occurrence. Therefore, the most common criteria i.e. frequency of the disease with respect to the population is usually taken into account by most of the countries. The medicines developed for the rare diseases are known as orphan drugs and sometimes, the frequency of rare diseases is correlated with the statuses of the orphan drugs.

Here is a tabular summary depicting the population ratio and description of how rare diseases are defined in various countries:

In Asian countries, the definition of rare diseases varies, and explicit definitions do not exist in some countries. Many Asian countries, however, utilise criteria comparable to those used in Western countries like the United States and the European Union. Rare diseases are not formally defined by national policy or legislation in India. Efforts are being made to develop a national policy to address the issues that people with rare diseases confront in the country. The Indian drug regulations have defined <<orphan drug>> status, when a particular disease does not affect more than 500,000 people in the country.  In the broad region of Eurasia, which includes both European and Asian nations, different countries have different definitions of rare diseases. Rare diseases are based on the European Commission’s prevalence threshold. The European Union has also established European Reference Networks (ERNs), which are virtual networks of healthcare professionals from all around Europe dedicated to improving the detection and treatment of uncommon diseases or rare health conditions. The Orphan Drug Act (ODA) of 1983 defines rare diseases in the United States. A rare disease ratio is named according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Canadian Organisation for Rare Disorders (CORD) identifies and addresses the issues that people with rare health conditions confront in Canada. The National Policy for Comprehensive Care for People with rare diseases has been implemented in the country. In Africa, different nations have different definitions of rare diseases. There may not be universally agreed-upon definitions or dedicated policies for rare diseases in all African nations due to the diversity of the continent and the disparate state of its healthcare infrastructure and resources. Due to variations in healthcare systems and policies, rare diseases are defined differently throughout Arab nations. Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman: Rare diseases are commonly described as ailments that affect a maximum of 1 in 2,000 people. To summarise, across the globe the definition of rare diseases are differently based on national policies and prevalence of the disease.