February 28th 2011 will mark the fourth International Rare Disease Day coordinated by EURORDIS and organised with rare disease national alliances in 25 countries. On that day hundreds of patient organisations from more than 40 countries worldwide will be organising awareness-raising activities and converging around the slogan “Rare but Equal”.

Hundreds of patient groups and their partners, coordinated by national alliances at the country level, are planning a multitude of events to draw attention to rare diseases and the millions of people who are affected by them. Awareness-raising activities are being planned across Europe, all the way to Russia, Georgia and Armenia, as well as in the US, Canada and as far as Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan!