More than 1 million Indians have been taken ill by the COVID-19 virus, but what has been the human cost on an extremely vulnerable section of the country’s population – people living with rare disease? The first episode of ‘1 in 20,000’ Season 2 – Rare Lives – delves on the pandemic and its impact. 

Hosted by Avantika Shrivastava, this episode features the experiences of Dr. Dipanjana Datta, a genetic counsellor and West Bengal coordinator for the Organisation of Rare Diseases in India, and Dr. Apurba Ghosh who is the Director of the Institute of Child Health in West Bengal. 

This season has been made possible from a grant by the Thakur Family Foundation.

<div>More than 1 million Indians have been taken ill by the COVID-19 virus, but what has been the human cost on an extremely vulnerable section of the country’s population – people living with rare disease? The first episode of ‘1 in 20,000’ Season 2 – Rare Lives – delves on the pandemic and its impact. <br><br>
</div><div>Hosted by Avantika Shrivastava, this episode features the experiences of Dr. Dipanjana Datta, a genetic counsellor and West Bengal coordinator for the Organisation of Rare Diseases in India, and Dr. Apurba Ghosh who is the Director of the Institute of Child Health in West Bengal. <br><br>
</div><div>This season has been made possible from a grant by the Thakur Family Foundation.</div>

There are more than 7,000 documented rare conditions in the world. While there is no known cure for some conditions, where there is a cure (or maintenance through medicines is possible), the cost of medication is exponentially high to bear. This podcast will focus on the status of rare conditions in India, which has been talked about very little in Indian society. It will be a one-of-its-kind attempt in India to document the gamut of challenges and achievements of people with rare conditions and will open a constructive dialogue on what can be done. This is important because an estimated 1 in 20 Indians are affected by a rare disease. The series will bring out the human face behind rare conditions – the patients, the families, caregivers, doctors, activists and geneticists working to improve life for people with rare conditions.

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