President Sergio Mattarella said
Tuesday that all sick people should feel they have support as he
gave a speech to mark world rare disease day.
"No ill people anywhere should feel invisible or forgotten,
especially in our republic," Mattarella said.
"A society's civilization is measured by how it addresses the
problems of those who are most fragile and this is its true
strength too. Patients with rare diseases are more vulnerable
than others".
Mattarella added that it is a Constitutional obligation to
help sufferers of rare diseases.
"Our Constitution protects health as a fundamental right of
every person and an interest for the whole collectivity,"
Mattarella said.
"It is a full right that cannot be compressed and concerns
the dignity and freedom of each person.
"The challenge of less well-known illnesses and limited
public resources cannot exempt us from trying to fully respect
the Charter".
Mattarella called for "a choral effort" to cure rare diseases
involving dialogue between research institutes and
pharmaceutical companies.
The head of State stressed that rare diseases were not "a
separate health chapter".
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