Nurul Islam Hasib Senior Correspondent (bdnews25.wapamp.com/Dhaka)
�In a landmark decision, the World Health Organisation on Friday adopted a separate resolution on autism, giving the often neglected developmental disorder 'utmost importance'. Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque who placed the proposal at WHO's 65th regional meeting in Indonesia termed the step "a very big achievement in autism care." "A separate WHO resolution means it gets utmost importance," he told bdnews24.com Friday from Indonesia over phone. The minister said he made the proposal based on the 'Dhaka Declaration' adopted in July last year in the global autism conference that got the regional to collectively take attention to the disorder. Autism robs children of communication and behavioural skills. No one can say why it develops, but it appears within three years of age. There was no regional figure about the number of autistic children, but it is estimated that India has over 8 million people with autism and Bangladesh government estimates the number here 0.15 million. Due to lack of awareness, people working with those families say 'myths and misconception' aggravate their sufferings. The minister said a separate resolution would help nations "to hear those unheard voices." "Now it will draw tremendous attention," he told bdnews24.com and added that last year's high-profile gathering in Dhaka helped him to pursue ministers of 11 countries in the regional meeting started Sep 5. The conference also laid the foundation for a South Asian Autism Network (SAAN). In the meeting, the Health Minister said 11 ministers hoped to make it a 'model' network for autism care. The Dhaka Declaration endorsed the 'priority actions' to meet the healthcare needs of the children with developmental disorders. The declaration also endorsed a plan to increase the awareness about the rights of autistic children, strengthen healthcare capacity, increase the capacity of professionals and mobilise and allocate human and financial resources for the healthcare of those children. It also called upon the governments to strengthen their mental health services and prepare to attend to the needs of people with developmental disorders. It appealed the donors to pay attention to the needs of millions of people who suffer from developmental disability and autism. Apart from Bangladesh, health ministers of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, North Korea, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Bhutan and East Timor attended the regional meeting.
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