Inmunoconsciencia

Immunoconsciencia works on raising awareness of autoimmune diseases and promotes actions in educational institutions to provide academic and emotional support to those who suffer from these condititons.

Students with autoimmune diseases face various obstacles, not only because of the disease itself, but also because of society's ignorance of them. Many of the symptoms are not visible to the naked eye and in a school environment the patient is branded as lazy or negative, and on other occasions the symptoms are so rare and visible that they face bullying, rejection and humillation. This complicates their condition since, in the face of such emotional burden, outbreaks of the disease arise more frequently or the possibility of developing psychological conditions such as depression or anxiety increases. The patient not only has to face the emotional load, but also the social one generated by the symptoms.

Inmunoconsciencia works for non-discrimination and generate empathetic environments in schools for students with these diseases, through educational strategies that make this problem visible, and promote actions in those schools that join the project, designed to generate awareness in students and teachers, as well as to generate a care plan for these patients according to the resources and needs of the institution.

Inmunoconsciencia has materials and carving design to achieve this goal.

The work plan includes the following actions:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), autoimmune diseases affect 3 to 7% of the world population, with women being affected mostly by 80%.

There are about 80 autoimmune diseases, the most common being type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and scleroderma. The incidence of these is 90 new diagnoses per 100,000 people per year.

Patients deal with symptoms like inflammation, chronic pain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, concentration problems, rashes, painful joints, among many others. What supposes a radical change of its style of life.

It is estimated that about 80% of patients with these diseases in their school stage are forced to pause their studies or drop out them. Due to the fact that educational institutions do not have support mechanisms for these patients so that they can continue their studies and find an empathic and inclusive environment, since these diseases psychologically affect the individual due to the condition and the social misunderstanding derived from the immeasurable ignorance that exists about them, which exposes the patient to comments of rejection and/or ridicule. According to Johns Hopkins Hospital, all autoimmune diseases, that we know of have higher rates of depression and several studies have proven the relationship of inflammatory processes with suicidal thoughts, so this group of school age within the population with autoimmune diseases is one of the most unattended.

For reference some facts about lupus:

In first glance, the positive impact is for autoimmune patients at school age by providing them with support and the possibility that they continue with their studies and their lives as normally as possible. The fact that they have an empathetic environment will contribute to the control of symptoms since stressful enviroments and the emotional aspect affect the development of the disease, so in this way we will be contributing to improving their health status and making the process of recovery easier for them. Our divulgation and awareness in the school environment, in the future will benefit the new generations, so it is planned to improve the knowledge of these diseases in the student community by helping the next students with these conditions.

As the founder is an autoimmune patient, it has allowed us to get to know the situation in depth, not only around the difficulty of diagnosis, the deficiencies in medical care, but also in the emotional impact generated by encountering ignorance and social misunderstanding. We understand that this is a common phenomenon that patients face, and more so in the school stage, since the symptoms are alarming or are not visible, so they are not credible, thus being considered as other problems typical of adolescence, This makes them feel helpless and desolate, which increases disorders such as depression and anxiety, which in turn exacerbates the disease.

As Inmunoconsciencia we have been able to learn from these diseases, talk with patients who have abandoned their studies because they have been immersed in misunderstanding and ignorance, unfortunately this causes them to present mental health problems given the circumstances of their illness, the treatment they receive from strangers , teachers, friends, family and even doctors. Inmunoconsciencia has investigated for a long time and I was able to verify this problem, in a survey of 523 people in Mexico, obtaining the following result:

We are at a initial stage of the project since we have worked with a school, this being our pilot test of the proposed scheme. Today we have the following achievements:

• 745 people impacted in pilot institution.
• 1 year of awareness by Inmunoconsciencia.
• 389 followers on digital platforms.
• Our social networks have reached 1006 people.
• 1st admission protocol was institutionalized.
• 523 people surveyed for initial diagnosis.
• 1 collaboration with the Spanish Federation of Lupus (FELUPUS).
• 2 people have joined in the administrative part and 9 people as Inmunodivulgadores (agents of change).
• 2 participations in a national institutional podcast of our pilot school.
• National participation to publicize the project, information was provided and tips to cope with an autoimmune disease in the school.
• Training workshops for Inmunodivulgadores.
• Workshop with teaching staff to raise awareness and design strategies that can be applied in the classroom.
• Implementation of segmented academic activities for these patients.
• Development, design and planning of content on social networks.
• 4 workshops were designed and given to all campus students: conferences, dynamics, and awareness.
• There is training material designed for Immunologists and awareness for high school students.

Inmunoconsciencia uses existing knowledge in leadership techniques, group management and sensitization, as well as the design of training and awareness materials. Its processes are linked to common and accessible tools for a large number of the population, such as the use of social networks and virtual conferences.

Currently, the dissemination and awareness work has reached 745 students, teachers and administrative staff of our pilot institution, these actions have benefited 1 teacher and 4 high school students with autoimmune diseases who are currently provided support according to their requirements according to what was externalized in the implemented admission protocol. Our activities have also impacted the school development of 9 Immunodivulgadores (students who joined the project activities/agents of change), who have received training not only on health issues, but also for the development of their skills and personal characteristics. such as making a presentation, how to be an energetically positive leader, group management, publication design, planning strategies, among other selected topics for your personal and work growth around the development of projects.

The impact projection for this 2022 is awareness at the bachelor's and master's levels in the pilot school as well as conducting a final survey with the aim of measuring the effectiveness of our program regarding awareness and implementation of strategies within the institution. Inmunoconsciencia will focus its efforts to reach more educational institutions throughout the year with everything and the staff that make them up. We seek to integrate 10 to 20 members into the project as Inmunodivulgadores so that they can replicate the program in each schools with our training and support material. Without a doubt, Inmunoconsciencia works and will work to open spaces for the dissemination of autoimmune diseases in mass dissemination forums such as podcasts, television, magazines and newspapers.

Goals:

1. Apply the Inmunoconsciencia model (actions) to two educational institutions, considering 90% of their student population, faculty and administrative staff at the end of 2022.
2. Accomplish with 100% of the publication program on social networks by the end of 2022 aimed at divulgation and raising awareness among the general public about autoimmune diseases.
3. Develop 100% of the material and session plan for students at the undergraduate and master's levels in order to promote knowledge of autoimmune diseases and empathy towards patients by the end of 2022.
4. Collection of data on the general knowledge of the population about autoimmune diseases to 1,500 people throughout 2022.
5. Apply the Inmunoconsciencia model (actions) to at least 95% of the students at the bachelor's and master's levels, as well as to the new generation of high school students at the Universidad Tecmilenio, Villahermosa campus (pilot school) by the end of 2022.
6. Expose in this 2022, through two mass media at the international level, the urgency of addressing this problem, information on autoimmune diseases and the importance of empathy, understanding and support for school-age patients.

By complying with indicators:

ID  Goals

Indicators

1.

No. of Institutions reached

2.

• % compliance with the program = publications made / publications scheduled
• Social Network Analytic

3.

• 100% developed material
• Post-application surveys

4.

• Statistics with a population sample of 1,500

5.

• ((Students aware / students at the bachelor's and master's levels) * 100

6.

• No. of Publications in mass media
• Communication Analytics

Sustainable Development Goals

Target  4.5

By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.

Parity indices  (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available).

The actions within the institutions are measured with an initial diagnosis prior to the start of the activities, and after the actions, a survey is applied to verify the effectiveness of the actions. Our main indicator in this regard is:

 % Effectiveness = (Number of people  aware of the disease after actions -Number of people aware of the disease prior to actions)/(Number of people to whom awareness is intended)*(100)

To fulfill the progress of the project, we depend on the opening and facilities that educational institutions grant us for presenting the project to the management group, and carrying out planned activities, and under pandemic conditions, efforts may be compromised. (Until now most of the achievements have been made under virtual context).

Inmunoconsciencia has the support of education specialists who have served as coaches to develop training programs, we have the support and trust in the project of people who have given their testimony as part of our awareness campaign. We also have the advice of Professor Carlos Rodríguez Solís, member of the Society for Neuroscience, who has guided us in the structure of the project as well as in the establishment of our work plan.

Additionally, we have the passion and motivation to make schools a safe environment that supports these patients, and this is our greatest strength.

We are committed young people who want to impact and generate a change in young people. Our team is made up of enthusiastic, highly talented individuals who are tasked with tasks in their areas of strength, allowing them to enjoy their work. For the founder this problem is a lived reality, she perfectly understands the needs of school-age patients and the problems they face. For those of us who know her, witnessing her daily work, her fight for things that we take for granted, we gain strength and an empathic awareness that drives us to carry out our work. We are passionate, we understand very well how to reach young people, and we know what a student with these conditions needs, which allows us to express it clearly to teachers and administrators to find solutions according to the resources of the institution.

Inmunoconsciencia takes on the challenge of fighting for this cause because we understand the struggle that being diagnosed with this disease represents, and without a doubt this conviction is what we transmit in every action and goal that we set for ourselves.

We currently collaborate with our pilot institution called Universidad Tecmilenio, campus Villahermosa, which provides us with facilities and support to carry out the scheduled activities. Likewise, we have generated relationships at a global level with Tremendas and the Federación Española de Reumatología through social networks with whom we share our values and vision for the creation of publications that impact a greater public and therefore greater awareness.

With Tremendas we collaborate to spread the importance of equitable education, as well as the timely detection and care of autoimmune diseases, since they represent a health problem for the female gender due to their incidence.

While with the Federación Española de Reumatología we seek focused dissemination in classrooms trained to treat Lupus and generate dissemination events with various rheumatologists from Mexico, Peru and Spain.

Latin American educational institutions have not implemented actions for the care of these patients of school age, it is a right that every child has fair treatment and educational equality, this being the 4th. of the objectives of sustainable development, for which we consider that it innovates in the approach, and offers the opportunity to make changes through the union of the parties, understanding the value of the willingness to help on the part of those involved.

Inject resources for the development of our project website, where the user can register as an institution, or their institution can apply, join the initiative and access the awareness material. Additionally, this resource will be used to create more attractive and interactive virtual access training programs and formally constitute Inmunoconciencia as a non-profit organization.