Monday September 7 marked the 6th edition of World Duchenne Awareness Day. This international day dedicated to raise awareness about Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD & BMD) continues to grow since its launch in 2014. Many events were organized and over 50 countries participated in the awareness effort.
WDAD in numbers
- From virtual walks in Canada to personal stories in Kenya and from educational meetings in Argentina to documentaries in the Czech Republic, many of virtual events took place in countries across the globe.
- The ‘Together, we are stronger’ campaign video was translated in 15 languages and attracted over 1 millions views globally.
- The official press kit with messages about the conditions and an explanation about the theme was translated in 17 languages, including Arabic, Hebrew and Russian.
- As the evening set in, iconic landmarks and monuments were illuminated to show solidarity for the Duchenne and Becker community. The bridge in Turkey, Niagara Falls in Canada and the famous Sagrada Familia in Barcelona were part of the more than 27 landmarks around the globe turned red!
Duchenne and the brain
This year’s educational theme focuses on brain involvement in DMD and BMD, a previously overlooked area. The online program ‘Duchenne and the Brain’ where researchers, clinicians and families shared their experience on brain involvement in DMD/BMD collected over 2K views in the first week already. Subtitles are available in Spanish and Dutch, and the community is working on subtitles in German, French, Ukrainian and Russian.
Did you host or attend an activity or event? Please send us your pictures, video or press clippings!
