The Spanish Association of People with Food and Latex Allergies (AEPNAA) has presented today in the Congress of Deputies the manifesto "Every minute counts", a document that calls for common regulations throughout the national territory for the prevention and action against anaphylaxis in educational centers.
The manifesto proposes, among other measures, the implementation of clear and homogeneous protocols for addressing anaphylaxis, training for teachers and the rest of the educational community, availability of emergency medication —adrenaline auto-injectors— in all centers, the development of individualized plans for minors at risk, and effective coordination between the health and education systems.
In the event, held in the Ernest Lluch Hall, representatives of the Congress's Board emphasized the relevance of placing this issue on the public agenda and recalled the institutional declaration approved unanimously last December, which already urged progress in protection, protocols, and access to emergency medication. "We need to offer peace of mind to families," they stated.
One of the most outstanding moments has been the announcement made by the Director General of Public Health of the Balearic Islands, Elena Esteban, who has announced that her Government is working on a regional regulation that regulates the prevention, detection, and care of anaphylaxis in educational centers, with the objective of guaranteeing a quick and safe response in all cases and providing legal certainty to the teaching staff.
A daily reality for thousands of families
The event has also featured emotional testimonies from mothers of minors with food allergies, who have recounted their day-to-day lives marked by uncertainty, fears, and barriers in the school environment, as well as situations of exclusion in activities such as excursions or celebrations.
"In anaphylaxis, waiting is not an option," warned Dr. Cristina Ortega Casanueva, a pediatrician and allergist member of the Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Pediatric Asthma (SEICAP), who insisted on the need to train teachers and provide them with tools to act quickly. Along the same lines, Dr. Ignacio Dávila, from the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC) warned that less than 15% of teachers recognize an adrenaline auto-injector, which highlights the urgent need for training and a clear regulatory framework.
Both societies, along with Doctor Mª José Torres, president of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), have backed the manifesto and have agreed on the urgency of a national consensus that guarantees equal protection for all minors, regardless of the autonomous community in which they study.
From the European sphere, it has also been pointed out that countries like the United Kingdom have already implemented mandatory measures in educational centers, including training and availability of auto-injectors. "We cannot allow bureaucracy to be slower than anaphylaxis," he has warned.
A turning point
The president of AEPNAA, Ángel Sánchez, has highlighted that this manifesto represents a new step after years of work with administrations and autonomous communities, and has underlined the need to move towards legislation that guarantees equal rights regardless of which autonomous community the student with food allergies is enrolled in.
Sánchez has also focused on the inclusion and social impact of food allergies, recalling that nearly 40% of minors claim to have suffered bullying due to this condition.
"The objective is to build a new culture in educational centers, where food allergy ceases to be an invisible or annoying problem and is addressed with responsibility and knowledge," he concluded.
AEPNAA has especially valued the commitment announced by the Balearic Government during the event, which it considers "the best possible news" and a decisive step to convert the demands of the manifesto into concrete measures that guarantee the safety of thousands of boys and girls in Spain.
"From AEPNAA we do not want this Legislation to bear the name of a child with food allergies, because that would mean it is the result of a fatal anaphylaxis," concluded Ángel Sánchez.