World Duchenne Awareness Day, observed on September 7, spreads awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare, progressive genetic disorder and one of the most common rare genetic diseases in children. It results from mutations in the DMD gene on the X chromosome, causing a shortage of dystrophin, a protein that protects muscles. It mostly affects boys, leading to steadily weakening muscles that later affect movement, breathing and heart function. The disease is named after Dr Duchenne de Boulogne, who described it in the 1860s. The 2026 theme is "Family: the heart of care".