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World Down Syndrome Day celebrates the importance of inclusion

South and Southeast are the regions with the highest prevalence - Photo: Min. Health

 

This Monday (21/03), World Down Syndrome Day, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, highlights the importance of raising awareness of the population about inclusion and the search for the same educational, social and professional opportunities for all.

 

The date chosen internationally to address the issue refers to the genetic flaw in the pair 21 of chromosomes, which in the case of people with the syndrome, appears with three copies - known as trisomy -, so 03/21.

 

Considered a congenital anomaly, Down Syndrome is mandatory in the Live Birth Declaration, a standard document for registration in the Live Birth Information System (Sinasc). According to system data, 1,978 cases of Down Syndrome were reported from 2020 to 2021.

 

The overall prevalence of the disease in Brazil during this period was 4.16 per 10,000 live births. Regarding the regions with the highest prevalence, the South (5.48 per 10 thousand) and the Southeast (5.03 per 10 thousand) stand out. This number may be even higher, given that the diagnosis at birth and its consequent notification on Sinasc can be a challenging task.

 

Surveillance

Because it is potentially detectable at birth and subject to intervention and prevention measures available in the Unified Health System, Down Syndrome is part of a list of congenital anomalies considered a priority for birth surveillance in Brazil.

 

The main objective is to strengthen the notification of congenital anomalies in Sinasc, enabling an improvement in data capture, production of information and indicators. These factors enable a more dynamic epidemiological surveillance and the construction of public policies for the prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of people with Down Syndrome and other types of anomalies.

 

This list was published in 2021, with a partnership between the General Coordination of Epidemiological Information and Analysis, which integrates the Department of Health Analysis and Non-Communicable Diseases of the Ministry of Health, researchers and medical entities.

 

With information from the Ministry of Health

 

Category

Health and Sanitary Surveillance

Tags: AwarenessWorld Down Syndrome DayImportance of Inclusion