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PRETORIA, South Africa, April 2, 2024/APO Group/ — World Autism Awareness Day – 02 April
The Department of Health calls on families and communities to support people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) otherwise known as autism in order to thrive and reach their full potential, and not to discriminate them.
Autistic individuals as well as their parents and caregivers often face many challenges, but these do not have to define them because they have the same health needs and rights as the general population. They may in addition, have specific health-care needs related to autism or other co-occurring conditions requiring attention, support, and care.
All people, including those with autism, have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. However, autistic people are often subjected to stigma and discrimination, including unjust deprivation of care, education, and opportunities to engage and participate in their communities.
They have unique physical, social, mental health-care and educational needs as a result of their conditions which require strong collaborative efforts with other government departments such as Basic Education and Social Development for the provision of all-inclusive basket of services for early detection and intervention of ASD to improve their overall health outcomes and lessen long-term suffering and costs of care.
South Africa will on Tuesday, 2 April join the global community to increase awareness about autism, as well as how we can support autistic people in society.
The awareness day is used as a platform to empower the public, health and welfare services providers with information and also dispel misconceptions and promote a deeper understanding of autism to help reduce stigma and discrimination through fostering a more inclusive environment for autistic persons and their families.
According to the World Health Organization, about 1 in every 100 children globally has autism. In South Africa, the local studies have found the prevalence of autism to be between 0.08% to 2%. This condition is mainly found to be more prevalent in males than females.
Autism can be a life-long condition, but through appropriate and tailored support, children and adults with autism can make significant progress and live fulfilling lives.
The use of standardised ASD screening and diagnostic tools is well-established in high-income countries. Developmental milestones screening is one of the key interventions to early detect disorders like ASDs and intervene early as studies have shown that the median age of diagnosis of these conditions is between 18 to 24 months. In South Africa, the Road to Health Booklet or Clinic Card that issued to all children at birth helps parents to monitor health and development of each child until the age of 5 years. This also assists in early identification and intervention when a child’s development is not in line with the expected developmental milestones.
Early diagnosis and intervention of autism can significantly impact the child’s development and help families understand their child’s strengths and challenges and create a personalised treatment and support plan. Thus, parents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the educational information contained in the Clinic Card.
Although, there is no cure for autism spectrum disorders, some medications are used to help people with ASD function better by treating co-occurring symptoms such as high energy levels, inability to focus, or self-harming behaviour including head banging or hand biting. Treatment can also help manage co-occurring mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, and physical conditions such as seizures, sleep problems.
If you suspect that you or your family member or child may be having autism spectrum disorder, visit your nearest health care facility or provider for screening and assessment to enable them to provide the necessary interventions, or refer where necessary.
Symptoms and causes of autism may differ from child to child, but some common symptoms include difficulty with social interactions, delayed speech and language skills, repetitive behaviours. Autism is primarily caused by nature (a genetic disorder), but the severity of autism can be influenced by nurture (environmental factors).
Care for people with autism needs to be accompanied by actions at family, community and societal levels for greater accessibility, inclusivity, and support, hence it is important to empower communities including health workers, educators and employers with knowledge and information about the conditions to ensure tolerance, support and acceptance of autistic individuals.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of Health.
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Lusaka — African health ministers and partners are calling for increased investment in integrated health services to address the growing burden of severe noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly those affecting women and underserved populations across the region. At a high-level side event during the Seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, delegates emphasized the urgent need for equitable access to prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation across the continuum of care for NCDs. Disparities are especially pronounced in rural areas, where health infrastructure and services remain inadequate. Breast and cervical cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa—particularly cervical cancer, which is both preventable and treatable. It remains the most common cause of cancer death for women in the region. In 2022, Africa accounted for nearly a quarter (23%) of the 76 000 global cervical cancer deaths. Meanwhile, severe NCDs such as Type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, and heart conditions claim more than half a million lives annually, including among children, adolescents, and young adults in some of the continent’s poorest communities. Inequitable access to health services continues to hinder efforts to reduce this burden. To improve cervical and breast cancer care in the region, urgent investment is needed in leadership, governance, and financing. Strengthening these foundations is critical in the current funding landscape. Advancements in strategic planning, healthcare infrastructure, workforce training, and—most importantly—equitable access to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services are essential. To address these challenges, WHO and its partners showcased successful integrated models such as the Women’s Integrated Care for Cancer Services (WICS), the BEAT Breast Cancer Project, and the PEN-Plus Strategy. WICS strengthens early detection, treatment, and integration of women’s cancer services into primary health care systems in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The BEAT Breast Cancer Project is a transformative multi-year initiative aimed at reducing breast cancer mortality among women in Tanzania and Ghana through early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment access. “PEN-Plus, WICS and the BEAT Breast Cancer Initiative are models for a new standard of care, rooted in equity, access and health justice. I urge countries to prioritize policies that embed these models into broader health system strengthening, said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa”. Côte d’Ivoire offers a compelling example of progress, combining high HPV vaccination coverage—reaching over three million girls (91.4%)—with WICS-supported community-based screening campaigns to strengthen cervical cancer prevention. In Kenya, cervical cancer screening has been successfully integrated into national health services. “This gathering marks a pivotal moment to accelerate action for breast cancer prevention in Africa. We deeply value the leadership of the Ministries of Health of Ghana and Tanzania, and the steadfast support of the Pfizer Foundation in helping us achieve this milestone. The side event builds momentum for the policy prioritization of women’s cancers, partnerships to strengthen the broader women’s cancer ecosystem, and advance a health-systems approach to breast cancer prevention and management”, said Dr Somesh Kumar, Senior Director, Jhpiego. PEN-Plus expands access to care for severe NCDs at the district hospital level. Since its implementation, 20 countries in Africa have increased access to services for severe NCDs. Over 15 000 people are currently receiving treatment for chronic conditions such as sickle cell disease and Type 1 diabetes through PEN-Plus clinics.
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