Bringing hope to families with autistic children, 11 countries from the WHO Southeast Asian Region, at a recent meeting, adopted a resolution on the distinct brain damage disorder that produces a range of behavioural abnormalities. The countries resolved to strengthen national capacities and help mobilise resources in Southeast Asia to address this issue.
Autism is a severely-incapacitating developmental disability that happens in the first three years of life, but can be better dealt with, if detected early. Statistics show that one in every 150 births is autistic. India has more than one crore autistic children, but treatment and rehabilitation facilities are virtually non-existent.
The resolution impressed upon the member states to give appropriate recognition to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and developmental disabilities in policies and programmes related to early childhood development, and asked them to develop and implement policies and plans — including public awareness, stigma removal campaigns, supported with adequate human, financial and technical resources — to address the issue.
The meeting called for development of strategies for early detection and community-based interventions for such children, thereby leading to the creation of appropriate infrastructure for care, support, intervention, service and rehabilitation.
The WHO expressed deep concern on the dramatic rise in the number of children with autism and developmental disabilities, and the growing cost involved in managing such disabilities in addition to the challenges of stigma, isolation, and discrimination faced by families dealing with autism.
To begin with, the 11 countries have agreed to support the activities of autism-related networks, including the South Asia Network (SAAN) — a concept that emerged from the Dhaka Declaration on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities, adopted at the end of a conference organised last year by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s daughter, Saima Hossain, to discuss the needs and challenges of the autism community in Bangladesh and South Asia. The conference was attended by United Progressive Alliance chairperson, Sonia Gandhi.
In addition to the 11 countries from Southeast Asia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahamas, United Kingdom and the United States of America participated in the WHO conference.
Taking up the cause of autistic children, India has now decided to hold the first ‘Annual SAAN Regional Networking Meeting’ in January next year.
It was in 2007 that the autism rate went from one in 166 to one in every 150 children. In 2010. it went up to one in every 110 children. Then earlier this year, 2012, the numbers soared to one in every 88. And because boys are affected at a rate four times that of girls, for boys alone, it's now one in every 54 boys. This should make autism a world-wide emergency. Officially, there is no known cause or cure for autism. There's nothing a mainstream doctor can tell a new mother so that her child who was born healthy and is developing normally doesn't also end up on the autism spectrum.
It's been calculated, that at this rate, by 2022, autism will affect one in every 9 children.
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