In the framework of the International Rare Disease Day 2026, medical specialists met at the National Medical Center '20 de Noviembre' ISSSTE to analyze clinical advances and persistent challenges in the care of rare diseases under the motto 'In the Era of New Therapies'. The academic event brought together representatives from the health sector, the legislative sphere, academia, and civil society organizations, with the objective of strengthening a comprehensive approach to rare diseases in Mexico. During the opening, Dr. Juana Inés Navarrete Martínez highlighted neonatal screening as a key tool for the prevention and early detection of rare diseases. The event also featured the participation of Dr. Ivon Karina Ruiz, deputy director of the hospital; federal deputy Mónica Herrera Villavicencio, a member of the Commission for the Attention of Vulnerable Groups; and senator Emmanuel Reyes Carmona, president of the Senate's Economy Commission. The academic program included an analysis of genetic-based diseases, presented by Dr. Mar Tovar Ayala, as well as a multidisciplinary approach to Fabry disease, exposed by Dr. Jaqueline Tovar Casas, who emphasized the importance of articulating clinical, scientific, and institutional efforts against diseases that, although of low prevalence, represent complex challenges for health systems. Among the topics addressed, Dr. Ericka Vargas Quevedo and Dr. Julio Flores Garnica analyzed amyloidosis as a current challenge for cardiology in Mexico, while Ms. Jaqueline Tovar Casas offered a national, regional, and global panorama of the current situation of rare diseases. The event concluded with a call to strengthen timely diagnosis, multidisciplinary work, and collaboration between institutions, academia, and civil society, led by Dr. Vargas Quevedo and Dr. Flores Garnica. Dr. Dimelza Suárez Pérez presented novelties on 'café au lait' spots in adults in the context of neurofibromatosis type 1.
Mexico Advances in Rare Disease Care
On International Rare Disease Day 2026, Mexico City hosted a key forum with doctors, lawmakers, and civil society. Experts discussed clinical breakthroughs, diagnostic challenges, and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to improve care for rare diseases in the country.
