Rare disease awareness

THE Spanish Butterfly Children Charity (DEBRA) marked International Rare Diseases Day on Tuesday, February 28 by calling on the government to provide more resources for hospitals specialising in the rare condition.

Butterfly Skin or EB, a rare and incurable genetic condition, causes extreme fragility of the skin and can lead to both external and internal wounds covering up to 80 per cent of the body. With only two national centres for Butterfly Skin in the country, patients face delays in receiving vital care and treatment, which can have serious consequences.

DEBRA, the only national organisation offering support to families in Spain with Butterfly Skin, aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by families and the lack of resources available.

To further highlight these challenges, DEBRA is holding a social media campaign, ‘With you for a lifetime’, featuring eight families affected by Butterfly Skin disease and the barriers they face.

DEBRA works to support people living with Butterfly Skin (EB) condition in Spain and is calling for more resources to continue its vital work.

The Butterfly Children Charity, founded in 1993 by parents of a boy with EB, works to improve the quality of life for families through co­financing research projects and raising awareness of the disease. More resources for hospitals specialising in Butterfly Skin are essential to ensure patients receive the care they desperately need.

New requirements for motorists over 65

THE General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has launched information about the new requirements for motorists over 65 years of age when renewing their driving licence in Spain.

Although there is currently no age limit in Spain to continue driving on the road, the DGT does make it a requirement to have a psychotechnical review within the period of time stipulated by the Traffic and Road Safety Law.

In addition to this review, drivers 65 years of age or older who want to re ­

HUNTING licences in Spain are currently at the lowest of the last 20 years.

While 85 per cent of the land surface of the country new their driver’s licence must present the following documentation when applying to renew their driving licence:

• Official application form.

• Psychophysical aptitude form.

• An updated photograph.

• The DNI, NIE or valid passport. Regarding the tests of the psychotechnical review, those interested must take an anticipation and coordination test, a hearing and visual capacity test, and a general health test, as reported by a local news source.

Hunting licences

is classed as hunting grounds, licence applica ­ tions have fallen by nearly 40 per cent since 2001, with 678,000 people now officially registered.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the drop is mainly due to the hunting population growing older with younger generations failing to take over.

After months of tension and heated debate, the Spanish government finally decided to leave hunting dogs out of the new Animal Welfare Law due to pressure from hunting organisations.

Hunters staged a number of demonstrations last year, with some protests peaking at an estimated half a million participants, demanding to be left out of the law as they claimed it could lead to the end of hunting in Spain.

Malaga Film Festival

THE Malaga Film Festival is soon to begin its show reel on Friday March 10 to Sunday March 19. Celebrating its 26th year, be prepared to see some of the best cinema that Spain has to offer, spanning across different genres, documentaries, shorts and more! Get the popcorn ready and watch spectacular films that are to be shown.

On March 12, the short film ‘Pioneros del Vino en Ronda’ is set to commence at 4pm in the Echegaray Theatre Malaga. A film about a group of winery friends and pioneers of wine in Ronda, where they gather around tasting and reminisce about their experience as vintners.

To find out more information and see what is on, visit https://festival demalaga.com/