Editorial
Dhaka Declaration on autism
Powerful commitment to the cause
Bangladesh feels fortunate to have been the host to an international conference on autism on the last two days. The high-water mark of the meet was the presence of regional dignitaries including chairperson of the Indian Ruling Alliance, Sonia Gandhi, first lady of Sri Lanka Shiranthi Wickramasingha Rajapaksa, wife of Maldives Vice-President Ilham Hussain, health ministers from Indonesia and Bhutan and officials from various countries working in autism health sector.
The substantive result of the moot was of course the Dhaka Declaration.
The importance of meeting the challenges faced by autistic children and adults has been greatly emphasized at the deliberations. This has served to raise the level of awareness of the issues of autism, with concrete suggestions emerging to address them. It is believed that one out of every 110 children is afflicted with autism. It is indeed a matter of serious concern that autistic population is increasing at a rate of 10 to 17 percent. The members expressed their determination to sensitise people to autism and in providing quality care and services to those affected.
The seven-point Dhaka declaration adopted at the conference is a ray of hope for all who has been born with physical and mental development disorders. The declaration calls for promoting stronger coordinated action in the region and globally to improve access to and obtain quality health care services for these mentally and physically challenged individuals.
We hope that this conference and the resolve expressed by the participants will go a long way in formulating more pragmatic policies by individual countries in the region to bring collective inputs to bear on the fight against autism.
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