A resolution designating February 29, 2012, as "Rare Disease Day".

Whereas rare diseases and disorders are those diseases and disorders that affect a small patient population, which in the United States is typically a population of fewer than 200,000 people;

Whereas, as of the date of approval of this resolution, nearly 7,000 rare diseases affect 30,000,000 people and their families in the United States;

Whereas children with rare genetic diseases account for more than half of the population affected by rare diseases in the United States;

Whereas many rare diseases are life-threatening and lack an effective treatment;

Whereas rare diseases and disorders include epidermolysis bullosa, progeria, sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis, many childhood cancers, and fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva;

Whereas people with a rare disease experience challenges that include difficulty in obtaining an accurate diagnosis, limited treatment options, and difficulty finding a physician or treatment center with expertise in the disease;

Whereas great strides have been made in research and treatment for rare diseases as a result of the Orphan Drug Act (21 U.S.C. 360aa et seq.);

Whereas both the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health have established special offices to advocate for rare disease research and treatments;

Whereas the National Organization for Rare Disorders, an organization established in 1983 to provide services to, and advocate on behalf of, patients with rare diseases, was a primary force behind the enactment of the Orphan Drug Act and remains a critical public voice for people with rare diseases;

Whereas the National Organization for Rare Disorders sponsors Rare Disease Day in the United States to increase public awareness of rare diseases;

Whereas Rare Disease Day has become a global event that occurs annually on the last day of February;

Whereas Rare Disease Day was observed in the United States for the first time on February 28, 2009; and

Whereas Rare Disease Day is expected to be observed globally in years to come, providing hope and information for rare disease patients around the world: Now, therefore, be it