The president of the Integral Research Program indicated that “4 percent of the total population suffers from apnea,” a disease that causes obstructions in the throat during sleep, resulting in a reduction of oxygen in the blood and multiple unconscious awakenings that prevent restful sleep.

The pulmonologist, as an active member of the European Union program, stated that one of the department’s intentions is that in a few years time drowsiness will be considered “as one of the diseases that must be declared when renewing a driver’s license”. In this way, traffic accidents caused by sleep problems could be avoided and “have them controlled and diagnosed”.