‘Riaya’ Programme Trains Doctors on Rare Paediatric Diseases

A new national training programme titled ‘Riaya’ has been launched to train university hospital doctors on the early diagnosis and treatment of rare paediatric diseases, through a partnership between the Supreme Council of University Hospitals and AstraZeneca Egypt. According to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the programme supports continuous medical education and strengthens coordination between public institutions and the private sector, while aligning specialised training with national health strategies. The ministry also highlighted the role of the Egyptian Knowledge Bank in providing access to international medical databases, noting that medical research has accounted for more than 23% of the country’s total scientific output over the past three years. Programme activities are scheduled to begin in early 2026 and will follow a blended learning model combining interactive in-person lectures with e-learning. Training will initially reach doctors across eight universities: Cairo, Ain Shams, Alexandria, Mansoura, Zagazig, Minya, Assiut and Sohag. The scientific curriculum will cover rare kidney diseases in children, neurocutaneous disorders, rare blood diseases, endocrine disorders and rare paediatric liver diseases, alongside modules on referral systems and specialised clinical communication. The scientific committee will include experts in neonatology, nephrology, haematology and oncology, gastroenterology and hepatology, neurology, endocrinology and medical genetics. Global estimates cited during the programme indicate that rare diseases affect approximately one in every 2,000 people, with around 80% having a genetic origin. About half of diagnosed cases occur in children, and around 30% of affected children worldwide face serious survival challenges before the age of five.