World Down Syndrome Day 2023: History, Theme and Significance

Down syndrome sufferers have not always had it easy. The kind of mistreatment and discrimination kids experience hinders their physical and mental development in addition to making life more difficult for them. Accessing fundamental rights like education, good health care, or the ability to work is frequently difficult for them.

Over 5,000 infants are born with Down syndrome each year, according to the UN. On this day, the global organisation asks all of its member nations and pertinent international organisations to engage in a thorough and beneficial discussion about how to improve life for people with Down syndrome.

What exactly is Down Syndrome?

Any person who is born with an extra chromosome has Down Syndrome, which is a hereditary disorder. Small ears, a flat nose, eyes that slant upward at the outer corner, a protruding tongue, a short neck, small hands and feet, and other characteristics are frequent in people with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a chronic illness with no known treatment. Yet, there are medicines available that, if used appropriately, can enable people to have fulfilling lives.

Theme for World Down Syndrome Day 2023

The year 2023's International Down Syndrome Day will have the theme "With Us, Not For Us." The goal of this subject is to move away from the traditional charity paradigm and towards one that is more focused on human rights. People are encouraged to promote equality by this concept. Instead of perceiving individuals with disabilities as objects of charity and pity who must continually rely on others for support, it aims to regard them as having the right to be treated equally.

Most of them may frequently encounter difficulties in daily life as a result of their disease. The theme for this year calls for transformation. Down syndrome sufferers must be allowed to make their own decisions, and those who support them must act "with," rather than "for," them.

History of World Down Syndrome Day 2023

From 2006 and 2010, the Down Syndrome Association of Singapore created and hosted the International Down Syndrome Day website. The Down Syndrome International was represented by this action. Later, the Brazilian Federation of Down Syndrome Associations collaborated with DSi and other members to launch a campaign to garner support on a global scale. Following the joint efforts of Poland and Brazil, a resolution was unanimously approved on November 11, 2011, during the Third Committee's plenary session.

A global petition started by the DSi that garnered more than 12000 signatures in just two weeks was also delivered to the Third Committee Chair. World Down Syndrome Day was first marked in 2012 after being formally recognised on December 19, 2011, by the UN General Assembly. The date of March 21 was chosen as World Down Syndrome Day to reflect the rarity of the triplication of the 21st chromosome, which causes Down syndrome.

Significance of World Down Syndrome Day

The goal of World Down Syndrome Day is to guarantee that patients with Down Syndrome disorder are treated equally in all aspects of society.

Effects of Down syndrome

A third copy of chromosome 21 results in Down syndrome, a genetic disorder. Patients with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46 in their bodily cells, making them appear different from other people. Children with Down syndrome may experience a variety of conditions, including congenital heart defects, hearing loss, and vision issues. John Langdon Down, a British physician, was the first to clinically identify Down syndrome in 1866, giving the condition its name.