VIJAYAWADA: The Indian Organization for Rare Diseases (IORD) hosted the Raise the Awareness - Rare Diseases conference in Vijayawada on Saturday to mark World Rare Disease Day 2025.
Special Chief Secretary (Health) MT Krishna Babu praised IORD President Prof. Ramaiah Muthyala for uniting stakeholders to address rare disease challenges. He noted that 5% of India’s population suffers from rare diseases, requiring costly lifelong treatment.
He supported IORD’s call for a Center of Excellence in Andhra Pradesh, possibly at AIIMS Mangalagiri or King George Hospital (KGH), to improve access to the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi scheme, which provides up to ₹50 lakh in aid.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav affirmed support for IORD’s proposals. Dr. Muthyala submitted a memorandum urging AP to lead in rare disease care.