KU Moot Calls For Raising Awareness Of Rare Diseases

Renowned Psychiatrist and Meritorious Professor Dr Iqbal Afridi Thursday said mental health and behavioral health disorders impose a significant and under-recognized burden on the global healthcare system, affecting social needs basic human rights, and the economy

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Feb, 2024) Renowned Psychiatrist and Meritorious Professor Dr Iqbal Afridi Thursday said mental health and behavioral health disorders impose a significant and under-recognized burden on the global healthcare system, affecting social needs basic human rights, and the economy.

He was addressing the Rare Disease Day 2024 organized by the Dr A. Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering of the University of Karachi at its Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium, said a statement.

He said that between a quarter and a half of the global population is affected by a mental disorder at some point in life. Today, nearly one billion people live with a mental disorder, and in low-income countries, more than 75 percent of people with the disorder do not receive treatment.

Every year, close to three million people die due to substance abuse. The human cost is immense as around 800,000 people commit suicide every year, and that is a leading cause of death among young people, he said.

He informed the audience that about 50 percent of mental health disorders start by the age of 14. People suffering from untreated mental health disorders are unable to realize their desired potential and are all too often exposed to a wide range of human rights violations.

He said, “Between 2011 and 2030, the cumulative economic output loss associated with mental disorders is projected to be US$16.3 trillion worldwide.”

Dr Iqbal Afridi shared that given the chronic nature of the disease, this translates into a significant economic impact worldwide. It is expected that in the next 10 years, depression will put more burden on nations than any other disease.

He quoted that according to the World Health Organization, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted or, in some cases, halted critical mental health services in the 93 percent of countries worldwide, while the demand for mental health is increasing.

Meanwhile, the KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that based on data worldwide, there is no doubt that rare diseases are increasing around the globe.

Dr Afsheen Ali from KU KIGBE shared that the Primary goal of this campaign is to increase awareness among the public and decision-makers about the rare disease and its influence on the lives of families living with these conditions.

“Over 300 million people globally are living with a rare disease, and 72 percent of rare diseases are genetic of which 70 percent of these genetic rare diseases begin in childhood.”

She mentioned that in the West the incidence of rare diseases is taken to be 1 in 5,000 births but in Asian countries where the rate of intermarriages is 40 percent, the cases of rare diseases stand at 1 in 1, 300 while in Pakistan the rate of consanguineous marriages area about 60 percent which means that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rare diseases.

On this occasion, the prominent scientist Professor Emeritus Dr Atta ur Rehman shared that artificial intelligence is being used for the treatment of many diseases as well as developing new drugs.

He mentioned that scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotics in the leading universities and urged that other universities should also initiate research in this regard.

He said that AI is also used to analyze rare diseases and a large data set of genetic and clinical rare diseases is being studied to identify their patterns, prediction of disease outcomes, and potential treatments.

“With the AI algorithms, we can study and understand data and symptoms which are usually missed due to various circumstances.” The head of the Department of Pediatric Cardiac and Congenital Heart Disease of the Ziauddin Medical University Professor Dr Najma Patel shed light on different aspects of heart issues and the importance of promoting awareness about rare diseases in Pakistan.