Today we celebrate the International Day of Rare Diseases. On this occasion, the Institute for Rare Diseases and the Association of Medical Students – Plovdiv (ASM- Plovdiv) with the support of the National Alliance of People with Rare Diseases (NAHRB) and the Municipality of Plovdiv are organizing a photo contest for all students from Medical Universities in the country with a passion for photography. Residents of Plovdiv will have the opportunity to visit the photo exhibition in the period from 20.02.2023 to 12.03.2023 at the Roman Stadium square.
Medical science has identified between 5,000 and 8,000 rare diseases that affect between 6% and 8% of the population. Although a rare disease usually affects a small number of people, the total number of people with rare diseases in the EU is between 27 million and 36 million. In Bulgaria, people with rare diseases are 5% of the population, which means that in our country every 1 in 20 people has a rare disease. One of the mechanisms for improving the care of these people and their families is to increase the awareness and visibility of these diseases within the health system itself and among our society.
Today at 12.00 in the “2019” Exhibition Hall – City Art Gallery, the winners of the photo contest were officially awarded. The event was attended by students from all Medical Faculties in the country, Bulgarian and foreign language studies. 69 author’s photos were submitted by doctors, dentists and rehabilitators. 4 author’s photographs were awarded.
Welcome words on behalf of the Municipality of Plovdiv were delivered by Georgi Tityukov, Deputy Mayor “Sports, Youth Activities and Social Policy”. Yordanka Petkova, a representative of the National Alliance for People with Rare Diseases, emphasized the need for such events, as well as that the current students will be future doctors who will provide medical care for rare disease patients.
Prof. Rumen Stefanov presented the latest developments in the field of rare diseases. Presentation of some of the participants in the photo contest and the awarded students was made by Kristina Petrova – president of ASM-Plovdiv.
Third prize went to Ralitsa Dimitrova, 1st year dental medicine student at MU – Varna, with her photography “Solar Perspectives”.
Teodora Gencheva’s photograph called “Support in Our Hands” was awarded the second place. Teodora Gencheva is a third-year medical student at the Medical University – Plovdiv.
The prize for the best photography went to Maria-Hris Slavova with “Life is Like a Butterfly”. The winner is a second-year medical student at the Medical University – Plovdiv.
An additional audience award went to Veselina Kmetska, who is a student at the Faculty of Medicine at “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov” University. Her work is titled “Nature Draws.”
During the event, more than 200 guests were present, including professors from the Medical University – Plovdiv, officials, the awarded medical students and their colleagues, as well as students from two Plovdiv high schools.
