In honour of World Rare Disease Day: Colourful zebras painted at key places in Sofia

In honour of World Rare Disease Day, eleven zebras with colourful stripes were painted on key places in the centre of Sofia.

The colorful animals are painted in life-size and colourful patterns on the square in front of the National Palace of Culture, the pedestrian part of "Vitosha" boulevard, the area in front of the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov", the "Crystal" garden and the alley of the Borisov Garden near the "Eagles Bridge".

They were painted by several graffiti artists, and the reason for the temporary artistic intervention in the urban environment is the World Rare Disease Day, which is marked on the last day of February. The initiative aims to draw the public's attention to the issue and raise awareness about rare diseases and the problems faced by patients and their relatives.

Rare diseases are often referred to as “zebras” by medical professionals due to their rarity and the lack of attention paid to them.

The use of the zebra as a symbol of rare diseases was prompted by medical lectures in the 1940s by Dr Theodore Woodward of the University of Maryland, USA.

"When you hear hoofbeats, think of a horse, not a zebra," was a line the scientist often said. Through it, he aims to explain that a disease is more likely to be common than rare, even if a patient's symptoms fit both.

There are more than 7,000 rare disorders affecting over 400 million people globally. Data shows that people with rare diseases wait an average of 4.8 years for a correct diagnosis, only to learn later that there are no approved treatments for over 90% of known diseases. Sadly, half of all rare disease patients are children.

That's why on the last day of February, the international community is turning the spotlight on rare diseases by colouring the zebra stripes different colours with a call for better conditions to conduct more research and develop new diagnostic and treatment options, as well as provide access to health care.