Law approved repealing duplicity in government

They reveal an increasing trend in the incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in the

pediatric population in Puerto Rico

At the launch of the first Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Platform in Puerto Rico

The incidence rate of Type 1 Diabetes in the pediatric population (new cases per 100,000 people between 0 and 18 years of age) shows a tendency to increase over the years, with 2009 being the year with the lowest rate (20.5), and 2021 the year with the highest rate (38.4). Although there are variations, on average, the incidence rate shows an increasing trend of 1% per year. In the most recent available year, 2022, the incidence rate was 34.2 new cases per 100,000 people between 0 and 18 years old. These data were revealed during the presentation of the first Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Platform in Puerto Rico, developed by the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico in partnership with the Pediatric Diabetes Foundation. This platform provides essential statistical data for understanding and addressing Type 1 Diabetes in Puerto Rico and is available at: https://estadisticas.pr/en/diabetes-tipo-1.

“These data are essential to be able to establish public policies for management, allocation of funds and resources, for researchers, doctors and for the families of patients living with diabetes. We needed an entity such as the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute with the expertise and willingness to help us with the statistical process, which resulted in an important alliance of will between the Foundation and the Institute. Today we can present the result of the collaboration between the Foundation and the Institute,” said Bernardo Maldonado, president of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Pediatric Diabetes Foundation.

According to the executive director of the Institute of Statistics, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, this platform represents an essential advance in the understanding and management of Type 1 Diabetes in the pediatric population. “These findings, presented for the first time on an interactive platform, provide a detailed view of the situation of Type 1 Pediatric Diabetes in Puerto Rico, which is essential for guiding public health policies and resource allocation,” said Dr. Disdier.

The findings detailed on the platform reveal significant data for the period from 2009 to 2022. Among these, the following stand out:

• Between 2009 and 2022, a total of 2,850 people between 0 and 18 years of age were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes for the first time. On average, 204 cases of Type 1 Diabetes are diagnosed annually in people 18 years of age or younger.
• Most of the cases (67%) diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes for the first time were between 5 and 14 years old. The average age of these cases was approximately 10 years.
• Overall, 53% of the cases were male and the remaining 47% were female.

In addition, Mariana Benítez Hilera, executive director of the Pediatric Diabetes Foundation, emphasized the Foundation's work in collecting unique data since 2008. This is thanks to a collaborative alliance with the hospitals where these patients are diagnosed and pediatric endocrinologists. “Once a child is diagnosed with diabetes, the first help they receive at the hospital is from our Foundation, which in turn helps us to have contact with their family right from the start and help them throughout the education process,” said Benítez Hilera.

Dr. Marina Ruiz, a pediatric endocrinologist, emphasized that Type 1 Diabetes is the type of diabetes that most affects the pediatric population. “It's an autoimmune condition that has no cure and can't be prevented. The condition requires a multidisciplinary team, such as the one found at the Pediatric Diabetes Foundation, to achieve successful management. This is the first time that statistics on diabetes in children aged 0 to 18 have been generated in Puerto Rico, which will help position our island on the world map with validated and reliable data. This will lead to the development of clinical studies in the near future to continue expanding our knowledge of the condition. In addition, it helps to carry the message to communities so that they have symptoms present and thus avoid acute and/or chronic complications.” said Ruiz.

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PRESS RELEASE

Call for paid internships announced at the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

Students in statistics, mathematics, computer science, public administration, and others may apply

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute announced that, for the next two weeks, and as long as the available spaces are filled, the call for paid internships will be open for graduate students in statistics, mathematics, computer science or in any other area in which extensive use is made of statistics, including economics, planning, demography, epidemiology, biostatistics, criminology, sociology, public policy, public administration, business administration or other related ones. The opportunity also extends to undergraduate students, from any of the above-mentioned disciplines, who are candidates for graduation in the same academic year in which they participate in the program.

Those selected will have the opportunity to collaborate directly with professionals from the Institute, who have extensive experience in the fields of economics, epidemiology, education, demography, statistics, programming and administration, among others. In the same way, they will receive support from the Institute's staff in the major projects they carry out according to the area in which they are assigned. All this, as indicated, in a work and learning environment that allows them to apply their knowledge in a professional environment.

“We are pleased to offer this opportunity to graduate students, or undergraduate candidates for graduation, as they will not only gain experience, but we also help them prepare for the professional field of work. In the same way, it is always good to share with the new generations that they have a lot to contribute, particularly in one of the most developed areas in Puerto Rico, such as statistics,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier, executive director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, who added that, among the applicants, they are interested in identifying candidates with knowledge in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Microsoft Power BI, SQL and Python, and others.

It was reported that interested parties must complete an application that is available at Programa_Internado_2025_IEPR.pdf where, in addition, the requirements and documents they must provide are detailed. Once the application is completed, it must be sent along with the documents to the following email: programadeinternado@estadisticas.pr. The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute will receive the requests and they will go through an evaluation process. Applicants will then receive a formal notification with the decision made.

For more information, those interested who meet the requirements can contact Mrs. Rebeca Ortiz, Office Manager at the following email: rebeca.ortiz@estadisticas.pr.

The Internship Program of the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico was created to promote the professional development of undergraduate students or graduates of university programs in statistics or related sciences at universities in Puerto Rico and other jurisdictions in the United States, to collaborate with the projects, studies and work carried out at the Institute.

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