Prague landmarks to light up tonight for Rare Disease Day 2021

On Sunday, February 28, landmarks around the world will be illuminated in green, pink, and blue to commemorate Rare Disease Day 2021, an initiative that aims to raise awareness about rare diseases and their impacts on the lives of patients.

In 2020, New York City's Empire State Building, the Colosseum in Rome, and Dubai's Burj Khalifa, among other world landmarks, all lit up to bring attention to Rare Disease Day, which has been observed since 2008.

This year, Prague landmarks will join in the lighting. The colors represent those chosen to symbolize rare disease awareness.

Prague locations that will be lit up in green, pink, and blue tonight include the Dancing House and Petřín Tower in the city center, the Czech Ministry of Health building at Palackého náměstí, and the FEL ČVUT building at Vítězného náměstí in Prague 6.

What is a rare disease? Under the EU definition, a rare disease is one that occurs at a frequency of less than five cases per 10,000 people. There are about 8,000 such diseases currently known, with hundreds more being discovered each year.

Because rare diseases are often under-studied and documented, diagnosing them can often be difficult, even for health professionals. Patients can go years before receiving the correct diagnoses.

Rare Disease Day hopes to bring more attention to diseases that may otherwise not get diagnosed in order to help future patients.

Prague's landmarks have frequently been lit in recent years to commemorate special dates and events.

In 2019, Prague's Petřín Tower was equipped with new lighting technology to display a wider range of colors and patterns.