Autistic children in Africa suffer from stigma
Autism affects the way a child communicates and sees the world, but with only 50 child psychiatrists in Africa, it requires specialised care that most Africans don’t have.
According to the UN, one in every 160 children suffers from autism. With only 50 child psychiatrists in Africa for a population of a billion people, autism is rarely diagnosed and children with autism and their carers suffer in silence.
The disorder is often seen as a curse treated by traditional healers in some parts of the continent.
Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reports from Dakar, Senegal’s capital, where a ward is helping medical staff and carers to deal with the stigmatised disorder.
Published On 2 Apr 2018