A number of South Asian personalities, who were in Dhaka to speak at a conference on autism, on Monday called upon the governments, local and international organizations to make 'pragmatic collective efforts' to ensure easy access to the region's autistic and disabled children to quality services in affordable expenses to facilitate their development as equal citizens.
Italian born Sonia Gandhi, president of Indian National Congress party, which leads the country's ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition government, spoke as the chief guest at the inaugural session at a city hotel.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Maldivian vice president's wife Ilham Hussain spoke as special guests at the session chaired by health minister Ruhal Haque. Pakistan National Assembly speaker Fahmida Mirza could not attend as she became acting president of her country as president Asif Ali Zardari is out on a foreign visit.
The conference on 'Autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities in Bangladesh and South Asia' was jointly organized by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, World Health Organisation and its South East Asian regional office and Bangladesh chapter of Autism Speaks Global Autism Public Health Initiative.
Reading from a written speech, Sonia Gandhi called it 'unfortunate' that in South Asian societies generally the disabled do not command the empathy they deserve.
The disabled, too, need not just food, education and shelter, but to be recognised as persons, said Sonia, the patron of Autism India Initiative.
'We need to make them equal citizen,' she said.
Sonia arrived Dhaka Sunday night, amid tight security, on a 24-hour visit in an Indian Air Force flight.
In her 20-minute speech, she came up with a number of suggestions for immediate implementation including empowerment of parents through education and training, providing vocational training to autistic children and setting up of research institutions.
'Each family with an autistic child has become a resource for others, creating a ripple effect. The stronger this movement grows, the greater will be the pressure on governments to provide more services,' she added.
Sonia praised Bangladesh for its success in addressing health and social issues saying it was ahead of India in terms of social indicators.
Bangladesh has achieved economic and social success beyond anything thought possible at the time of its birth, she said.
On crucial issues like the fertility rate, proportion of underweight children, immunization, number of mean years of schooling, child and infant mortality rates, life expectancy, micro-finance, education, women empowerment, public health and sanitation, 'you are ahead of us', she said.
Sonia, attired in an embroidered olive saree, pointed out that the two neighbours shared passions from the poetic and artistic legacy of figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam to the sublime 'ilish maachh' as the hilsha is called in Bangladesh and 'mishti doi' or sweet curd.
Sheikh Hasina, also president of ruling Awami League, said it was necessary to create social and legal system on an urgent basis to uphold the rights of the physically or mentally challenged persons.
'Let us begin the process of working in cooperation and collaboration with one another, so that as a region we can develop scientifically sound practices, which are socially applicable and economically feasible,' she said.
Ilham Hussain stressed the need for early detection to explore full potential of autistic children so that they can be helped to lead a normal life.
Shiranthi Rajapaksa read out the seven-point Dhaka Declaration adopted by the conference.
According to the declaration, the participants agreed to take coordinated actions in the region and globally to highlight social responsibility to persons with developmental disorders, strengthen health systems to address their needs, mobilize and allocate increased human and financial resources and promote a supportive national legislative and policy environment to ensure social inclusion.
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Shekhar Saxena of WHO, Andy Shih of Global Autism Public Health Initiative and representatives of Bhutan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and UAE also spoke.
Sheikh Hasina's daughter child psychologist Saima Wazed Hossain, ministers, parliament members, ambassadors, senior civil and military officials, representatives of international organizations attended, among others.
Speaking at the conference experts described autism as 'a complex life-long developmental disability' which severely impairs social and communication skills.
They said that nearly one person in every 110 is afflicted with disabilities worldwide.
Bangladesh national cultural team of autistic children performed at a 20-minute session of songs and dances.
Source : New Age
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