Within the framework of the First Congress on Rare Diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean (ERCAL) held in Bogota at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana from March 16 to 17, more than 45 experts from 13 countries met to analyze the current panorama and the challenges posed by rare or infrequent diseases in the region. With a comprehensive approach to public health policies, medical, technological and research advances, the objective of the meeting was to consolidate a multisectoral strategy of actions and recommendations that contribute to improving the quality of life of patients.
More than 950 attendees participated in the congress in person and virtually, which was organized by Americas Health Foundation (AHF) together with Enfermedades Raras del Caribe y América Latina (ERCAL), Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and its Institute of Human Genetics, and the Federación Colombiana de Enfermedades Raras (FECOER), with the support of nine patient organizations in the region.