Medical Department

Rare diseases are a collective term for a large group of diseases with low incidence. Although it is named "rare", there are many types of diseases and a large number of patients. The total number of confirmed diseases currently exceeds 10,000, and up to 10% of the global population suffers from rare diseases. The number of rare disease patients in China is estimated to be 49 million to 82 million. The Department of Rare Disease Medicine is newly established by Peking Union Medical College Hospital in 2023 and is the first domestic specialty to carry out clinical diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases and difficult undiagnosed diseases. Based on the comprehensive leading advantages of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in the field of rare diseases for a century, it benchmarks against the world's first-class medical centers for difficult and rare diseases, relies on the National Rare Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Collaboration Network, the National Rare Disease Registration System, the National Rare Disease Quality Control Center, and the National Key Experiments and Transfers for Difficult, Severe and Rare Diseases. As a major national scientific and technological infrastructure for chemical medicine, the Department of Rare Disease Medicine has set up rare disease joint clinics, wards, genetic counseling and analysis platforms and teaching platforms, and is positioned as a platform department to give full play to the leading role of a multidisciplinary team with top clinical diagnosis and treatment capabilities in China's medical, teaching and research aspects. Although the Department of Rare Disease Medicine was newly established, the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases have long existed in the development of modern medicine in my country.Peking Union Medical College Hospital has been the national center for critical and difficult rare diseases since the founding of the People's Republic of China. In fact, since its establishment in 1921, the predecessors of Peking Union Medical College Hospital have continuously unveiled various rare diseases through tireless exploration and continuous improvement of research, pioneered many rare disease diagnosis and treatment in China and the world, and have been leading the development of rare disease medicine in China for a hundred years. As doctors in the new era, it is our responsibility and mission to provide professional and caring medical services to patients and families with rare diseases and difficult undiagnosed diseases. We are committed to exploring the causes, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases and improving the quality of life of patients.