Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to fund 30 patient groups, aiming to build a model for tackling rare diseases
SAN FRANCISCO — When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his spouse Dr. Priscilla Chan in 2016 vowed to get all diseases under control by the end of this century, they took on a challenge that seemed impossibly daunting in terms of science — and in terms of raw numbers. After all, there are thousands of medical maladies, including some 7,000 rare diseases.
Today it is no less daunting. But on Monday, the couple’s philanthropic vehicle announced a set of grants that executives there hope will create a model for tackling any rare disease: financing patient-led groups, and giving them training and resources.
