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Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

The CamRareEd programme seeks to raise international cultural consciousness of rare diseases through a series of educational outreach activities in schools and other public education environments. The broad aim of CamRareEd is to promote social inclusion for children and adults from the rare disease community, which aligns to organisations such as the UN through their Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth which seeks to ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’.  The programme targets the development of a public science engagement programme for children suffering from rare diseases.  It aims to make a positive difference to the lives of the children and, also, to highlight the current challenges the children and their families encounter through their connection with rare diseases.

Background

A disease or disorder, is defined in the EU as rare when it affects fewer than 1:2000 of the population. Although any individual condition affects a small proportion of the population, 1 in 20 people will live or be linked to someone with a rare disease due to over 7000 different conditions that have already been diagnosed. Despite major developments in medical treatments and screening technologies rare diseases are still not being consistently diagnosed, treated and supported effectively. Current mortality rates for children born with a rare disease mean that around 30% will not survive beyond their 5th Birthday and despite these statistics current research indicates that less than 1 in 10 of the UK population is aware of the child mortality rates for the rare disease community.

Current CamRare Ed Activities

The CamRareEd educational activities focus on future opportunities which will arise from one of our societies greatest current challenge, climate change. Through a series of international collaborations we have developed educational activities and demonstrations of future technologies which are critical for the move to an new economy. The science activities aim to highlight current global challenges and promote understanding of the opportunities for careers in these exciting new technology areas.

Unique Connections

Unique Expressions

Unique Lab