Autism is still a neglected disease in Bangladesh and there is no exact statistics on how many children are affected with autism in the country. Over 14 lakh children in Bangladesh are suffering from ASD, reports BSS.
A two-day international conference on “Autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities in Bangladesh and South Asia” was held in Dhaka on July 25-26, 2011 to raise awareness on the neuro-development disease.
Against such a huge burden of the disease, a very limited number of health professionals are serving, thinks health experts. Although the service for autism is available in metropolitan areas, the people of rural and semi-rural areas are deprived of getting access to the service.
A non-government study titled ‘Autism in Bangladesh: Current Scenario and Future Prospects’, which was conducted in 2014 by four individuals, suggested incorporating the care for autism from the bottom of health service system, which is at the primary health care.
“It is not possible to increase the number of skilled health professionals overnight, so this present project can create a group of skilled manpower who will be able to provide primary service to the children with autism and advice to the parents accordingly,” the study suggested.
Talking to the correspondent, Dr. Professor Narayan Saha, Child neurology specialist, National Institute of Neurosciences, said proper care and treatment from early days can make an autism-affected child cure.
