ERCAL, a regional initiative for rare diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

The importance of establishing programs to address the challenges of patients living with rare diseases has been recognized internationally, yet many countries, especially in low- and middle-income regions, are lagging in the recognition of the challenges and needs of patients and families. To improve this situation, the Enfermedades Raras en el Caribe y America Latina (ERCAL) initiative was established in 2020 with the vision of bringing together patients, patient representatives, organizations, researchers, clinicians, regulators, and all interested stakeholders in the rare diseases ecosystem under a common collaborative platform to sum efforts to improve the lives of patients and families living with rare diseases in the Latin American and the Caribbean region. Over the last three years, we have been working consistently to establish an agenda of priorities and objectives to guide the work of the initiative and address the major challenges faced by the rare disease community in the region.