Down syndrome day: why it is commemorated today, and a request in an election year

With the aim of raising awareness regarding the importance of inclusion and claiming for outstanding debts regarding this genetic condition, today is commemorated worldwide on

.

Why March 21?

The answer is precisely related to the conditions that this syndrome presents: Down syndrome is a

in which a person has 47 chromosomes instead of 46, according to Medline Plus, the US Library site.

From the Mayo Clinic they explain that human cells generally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes (one chromosome in each pair comes from the father, the other from the mother).

"Electoral syndrome": they demand that campaigning politicians incorporate these demands into their agendas.

Photo Shutterstock.

occurs

on chromosome 21. These cell division abnormalities result in a partial or full extra copy of chromosome 21. This extra genetic material is responsible for characteristic traits and problems development of Down syndrome”, they detail.

What happens then, they explain from the Down Syndrome Association of the Argentine Republic (ASDRA) in most cases of people with Down syndrome, is that there is an extra copy

(trisomy 21).

Taking precisely the number of copies (3) of this chromosome (21), it was established that on March 21, the third day in the calendar, this condition is commemorated.

What are the implications of this genetic condition?

"The extra chromosome causes problems with the way

develop and is one of the most common causes of birth defects," they say on the Mayo Clinic website.

"Down syndrome is a genetic alteration that occurs at the moment of conception and is carried throughout life. It is not a disease or a condition and its causes are unknown. Any couple can have a son or daughter with Down syndrome Down

is born with this syndrome," they clarify from ASDRA.

In turn, they stress that the

of people with Down syndrome in both educational and work settings not only increases and multiplies the development possibilities of these people, but is also beneficial for the whole of society.

A request in an election year

This date is used by various organizations to put on the agenda

demands and needs of people living with this condition.

Taking into account that in Argentina we are in an electoral year, this time the proposal aims to problematize regarding the

of children and adolescents of secondary school age.

In this sense, according to data released by ASDRA and the Argentine Network of Families of People with Trisomy 21 together with Wunderman Thompson Argentina, 48%

with Down syndrome, older than 12 years, are not part of secondary education. .

They clarify that Down syndrome is not a disease or disorder, but a genetic condition.

Photo Shutterstock.

For this reason, and with the aim of "reinforcing the request for

to comply with article 24 of the International Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities", Wunderman Thompson together with ASDRA present the campaign

(" a campaign for those who campaign").

Through it, they invite to counteract the number of "unfulfilled promises of politicians", so that they can "interiorize about the requests that people with Down syndrome have and ensure that, once and for all, they are part of the political agenda ”.

The data in question arise from a survey carried out among more than 4,400 people who are in contact with civil associations throughout the country, within the framework of the "Syndrome of Numbers" campaign, which claims the lack of official statistics on people with Down's Syndrome.

Obstacles in the educational system

“We were lucky with my daughter's school and the support received, but the families that we accompany consult us because the educational institutions tell them that they cannot give them a place, even though they know that there really is, or because they do not let the

enter. and girls the day the integrative teacher does not go, or only a certain number of times a week, always with invented excuses”, denounces Alejandra Belyín, ASDRA Board of Directors.

They also point out that in order to have "the adequate support", it is necessary to have the Unique Certificate of Disability and the coverage of the family's social or prepaid work.

"But here, too, problems arise," they lament.

The ASDRA survey revealed that

with Down syndrome do not have a Single Certificate of Disability and 58% lack health insurance.

"We receive requests for help every week from people whose

for the birth of their child with Down syndrome and who then refuse or create obstacles to cover the support teacher or other benefits" , relates Alejandro Cytrynbaum, president of the association, to close.

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