KP is home to about 150,000 children with autism, says health department data
DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The provincial minister for health Syed Qasim Ali Shah has announced the establishment of Pakistan’s first Autism Therapeutic Clinics across the province to cater to the mental rehabilitation of the 150,000 children diagnosed with autism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to an official handout issued here on Tuesday, the provincial government operates the newly established clinics on a no-profit-no-loss basis, ensuring affordable care for all affected children.
The clinics are set to be established in Peshawar, Haripur, Mardan, Charsadda, Mansehra, Swabi, Chitral, Dera Ismail Khan, Swat, and Dir, targeting both urban and remote areas of the province.
According to the Autism Society of Pakistan’s 2023 data, KP is home to 150,000 children with autism, with no existing government-run facilities for their mental rehabilitation.
A significant number of these children belong to remote areas, where no centers are currently available for their treatment and rehabilitation.
Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah emphasized the importance of inclusive development, stating, “Living a normal life is a fundamental right of every child. Isolating a child from society due to their mental condition or social background is a mark of backwardness.
Prioritizing the mental rehabilitation of these children can make them valuable contributors to our development.”
In a significant development, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Department of Health and the Autism and Learning Disabilities Organization to establish these clinics.
Under this MoU, the clinics will be set up in district hospitals across ten districts over the next five years. The health department will provide the necessary space and resources for these clinics in the district hospitals.
These clinics will be staffed with qualified psychologists who will offer specialized services for the mental rehabilitation of children with autism.
