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By Abdul Qadir Qureshi (Pakistan News & Features Services) The policymakers and stakeholders were unanimous in their plea to pay greater attention to the challenges posed by rare diseases in Pakistan as they shared their thoughts and vision in the conference to mark Rare Disease Day 2020 at the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi.  It was noted that globally there are over 6,000 diseases classified as rare as they affected fewer than 1 in 2,000 people while in Pakistan, these diseases are not so rare because a major risk factor is prevalent: inter-family marriages which significantly raise the risk of their children suffering from genetic defects and disorders.  Dr Bushra Afroze, associate professor at AKU and a clinical geneticist at the University’s teaching hospital, shared the story of a girl from a small town in Sindh, to explain how the health care system’s shortcomings were affecting those living with rare diseases.  “The girl was eight when the u...