Rare Disease Day is a globally coordinated movement dedicated to rare diseases, striving for equity in social opportunities, healthcare, and access to diagnosis and therapies for people living with a rare disease.
Watch the Rare Disease Day 2026 official video
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J1oTfoIOGw
Rare Disease Day is observed on the last day of the month, which is 28 February in 2026.
If you work in the NHS in the East Midlands or East of England and you are organising events, webinars or other awareness raising activities this year, you candrop us a line to let us know what you're planning - and if your posting on LinkedIn don't forget to tag us (opens in a new tab) and we'll share your posts.
The RDD26 website hosts social media templates (opens in a new tab), and templates to help you create promotional materials (opens in a new tab) for use locally.
Here are some events, webinars and resources which may be of interest:
- Rare Disease Day 2026 - Medics For Rare Disease (opens in a new tab) - watch a new #LearnYourStripes video and share the M4RD annual #ShowYourStripes campaign
- 23 February (12pm - 1pm): Genomics and Cholestasis (opens in a new tab) - Professor Richard Thompson explores genotypes and phenotypes in cholestasis.
- 27 February 2026 (4pm - 6pm): Join CamRARE at the DISC, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, for Living Rare: Reflections Across a Lifetime. Through lived-experience stories and a multidisciplinary panel, the event will explore what it means to live with a rare condition, from first symptoms and diagnosis through childhood, independence and adulthood, and how systems across healthcare, research and industry can better respond across the life course.
- 24, 25 and 27 February: Our counterparts in the South East are hosting three patient talks to mark Rare Disease Day. You can register to hear conversations with Charlotte Doody, Mum to Maisie (opens in a new tab), (opens in a new tab) Diana, GP and Mum to Sebbie (opens in a new tab), and Dharmisha, Mum to Sebastian (opens in a new tab).
