“Rare Diseases Day” symposium was organized by Near East University Medical Faculty Continuous Medical Education Coordination Unit in order to draw attention to rare diseases affecting approximately 350 million people in the world.
According to the information given by the Press and Public Relations Directorate of Near East University, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Medical Genetics Department Head and the President of the European Biotechnology Group, Prof. Dr. Munis Dündar who participated in the symposium as an invited speaker gave a seminar titled “Rare diseases in developing countries".
At the Rare Diseases Day Symposium, which attracted intense interest and attended by approximately 60 faculty members, physicians and students from various universities and state institutions of Northern Cyprus, along with Prof. Dr. Munis Dündar, Near East University Continuous Medical Education Coordination Unit and Board Member of DESAM Institute, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mahmut Çerkez Ergören also participated in the symposium as a speaker.
Faculty members of the Near East Medicine Faculty and DESAM Institute researchers Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umut Fahrioğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Tulay and Research Assistant Gülten Tuncel Dereboylu also made presentations.
Congratulated the achievements of the Near East University…
Prof. Dr. Munis Dündar, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics Head and President of the European Biotechnology Group, expressed his gratitude to Vice-President of Near East University Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr. Gamze Mocan, and to Continuous Medical Education Coordination Unit for providing him with an opportunity to share his knowledge and ideas at the symposium.
Prof. Dr. Dündar in his opening remarks congratulated Near East University Founding Rector Dr. Suat İ. Günsel and Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel, Chairman of Board of Trustees of Near East University for creating a university that is known for art, science, technology, sports and recently proudly developed the industrial product such as the first electric car of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and emphasized that Cyprus' first electric car would not only improve the economy of the country but also help young researchers and engineers create job opportunities.
“There are rare diseases in 350 million people worldwide”
Dean of the Near East University Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Gamze Mocan in her speech expressed her gratitude to the Continuous Medical Education Coordination Unit, speakers and participants who contributed to the organization of this socially and scientifically meaningful symposium. Prof. Dr. Mocan in her speech stated that there are almost 8 thousand rare diseases affecting 350 million people worldwide, one in 2000 people in Europe, 30.000 people in total, and 80% of these diseases are due to genetic causes, it is important to hold such an event in Northern Cyprus under the leadership of Near East University Faculty of Medicine in order to raise awareness of rare diseases."
"New gene variants specific to Cyprus were introduced to the world literature”
Near East University Continuous Medical Education Coordination Unit and DESAM Institute Board Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mahmut Çerkez Ergören, together with faculty members from the Department of Rare Diseases Research Group and Near East University Medical Faculty, which have been continuing their active scientific studies since 2017, has identified many diseases with ultra-rare diseases in Northern Cyprus, stated that they brought the gene variants to the world literature. Emphasizing that they have started functional studies on understanding the molecular mechanisms of genes and gene variants of unknown effect since last year, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ergören stated that he is hopeful that healing policies will be carried out for individuals with rare diseases in Northern Cyprus, raising the awareness of rare diseases and taking new initiatives in healthcare in the future.
