World Duchenne Awareness Day • September 7
Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or Duchenne, is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene, which affects the body’s ability to produce dystrophin, a protein that helps protect muscles.
The name comes from Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne de Boulogne, a French neurologist who extensively documented the condition in the 19th century.
It affects roughly 1 in 3,500 to 5,000 boys born worldwide. It is also present in the Philippines. One Philippine study involving pediatric DMD patients at a tertiary government hospital included 30 children.
Duchenne is not contagious and is not caused by lifestyle, food, or the environment. The mutation can be inherited from a mother who carries it, or occur spontaneously even without a family history.
It causes progressive muscle weakness and primarily affects boys, with movement, breathing, and heart function potentially affected.
For those living with Duchenne, access to early diagnosis, knowledgeable healthcare professionals, appropriate treatment, assistive technology, education, and support can make a real difference.
It also means having fewer barriers to learning, working, traveling, playing, and taking part in community life.
Because access is not only about care. It is about having more possibilities for an independent and dignified life.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
