Knowledge and attitudes toward rare diseases in Lima, Peru: a cross-sectional study on public awareness of healthcare

Introduction Rare diseases (RD) affect up to 8% of the global population; however, public awareness and understanding of RD remain limited. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes toward RD among residents of Lima, Peru.Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 424 adult residents of Lima using a structured online questionnaire. Data included sociodemographic characteristics, familiarity with RD, health insurance status, and perspectives on public funding. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Differences in knowledge scores were assessed using Student’s t test and analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression identified factors associated with knowledge, and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated by knowledge level.Results The mean RD knowledge score was 53.9 (SD = 14.45), and 85.4% of participants scored below 69, indicating limited knowledge. Despite this, more than 80% supported public funding and insurance coverage for RD. Lower knowledge scores were associated with specific occupations (β = −5.8; p < 0.001), older age (β = −0.21; p = 0.002), and unfavorable attitudes toward insurance coverage (β = −6.7; p = 0.043).Conclusions Knowledge of RD was limited, but supportive attitudes toward funding highlight opportunities for advocacy and policy development. Limitations include non-probability sampling and possible item misinterpretation.