GAEM Foundation, headquartered in the Barcelona Science Park, launches its inclusive charity campaign 'Yo Doy mis Pasos’ [I give my steps], which aims to raise 1 million euros to promote biomedical research in multiple sclerosis, an incurable neurodegenerative disease which affects around 8,000 people in Catalonia and 50,000 in Spain. It is also the second biggest cause of disability in young people in developed countries after road accidents.

‘Yo Doy mis Pasos’ (#Yodoymispasos) is an inclusive campaign in which anyone can take part, regardless of age or physical condition. All you need to do is register the steps you take in your daily activities—when you run, when you train, when you ride your bike or when you simply take a step—and upload them to the website: www.yodoymispasos.es

The number of steps taken will be converted into the effort required to complete the routes –which depends not only on the distance, but also on the difficulty of the routes and the physical condition of the person– which can then be compared with the effort required to cover the same route for a person with and without multiple sclerosis, thanks to the Effort Conversion Table produced by the IBP Index and the Fundación GAEM.

Besides raising money for research, the ‘Yo Doy mis Pasos’ campaign has two other key objectives: to raise awareness in society about the added burden of living with multiple sclerosis, and to encourage the public to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Many people have already lent their support to the campaign. Some best known are journalist Xavier Sardà, and those affected by multiple sclerosis including Cristina Maró (actress and model), Bruno Bergonzini (actor), Jacobo Caruncho (journalist and blogger), Ramón Arroyo, Asier de la Iglesia (basketball player), Juanjo Amate, Agna Egea, Miguel López Abenoza and Neus Benitez.