The Arab world spends more than $30 billion every year to treat rare diseases, a top official said.

Arabian Gulf University's (AGU) professor Dr Christina Skrypynk announced the figure during a ceremony to mark the International Day of Rare Disorders at the AGU's Al Jawhara Centre for Molecular Medicine in Bahrain, according to a report in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

She said rare disorders were scientifically defined as diseases that affected one in 2,000 people.

"Most of the diseases are due to genetic causes and there are no known cures for them," she said.

"All over the world, there are more than 350 million people suffering from such rare disorders, of which 2.5 million are in the Mena region."

The event was held under the patronage of Health Minister Sadiq Al Shehabi. AGU president Dr Khalid Abdul Rahman Al Ohaly was among those who attended. – TradeArabia News Service