A rare disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population. Most rare diseases are genetic and thus are present throughout the person's entire life, even if symptoms do not immediately appear. In Cameroon children suffering from rare diseases are often stigmatised by the society.
They are called witches, snakes and all sorts of names. Some are even abandoned. Some parents who have children with such diseases hide them in their homes especially when visitors come visiting. It is in this light that an athletic walk was organised in Yaounde on Saturday February 23, 2014. Organised by the Association for the Care of Children Victims of Rare Diseases (ASEVIMAR), the walk brought together Cameroonians of all walks of life. The participants walked through major streets in Yaounde covering a distance of 10km.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the exercise, the President of ASEVIMAR, Hélène Mballa Atangana, said the objective is to contribute to the efforts of government in the health domain in general and the problem of rare diseases in particular. She said the association wanted to sensitise at the same time the authorities and the public so that they can give a bit of their time to show some affection not only to the children but also to parents who are in distress because of the situation of their children.
"We have realised that the public and even some hospital centres are not yet aware of rare diseases. That is why we think our association should sensitise the people on the need to break taboos linked to the disease," she said. The 10-km walk was in prelude to the World Rare Disease Day which will be commemorated on February 28, 2014. The 10-km walk was in prelude to the World Rare Disease Day which will be commemorated on February 28, 2014.
