A local Non-Government Organisation called Centre for Down Syndrome, Sickle cell Anaemia and Autism (CEDOSSA) has called for more awareness on autism.
This, the organization believes, will to help ease problems that people with the condition face in the country.
Speaking to MBC, Executive Director of CEDOSSA, Lauryn Sulani, said people with autism are stigmatised within the communities and neglected, especially children, by some parents and relatives.
According to Sulani, inadequate resources and a lack of special needs schools leads to people with autism travelling long distances to find a resource centre.
She stressed that there is need for community awareness on the condition so that it is handled at an early stage.
“As a country, we need to change our perception. Let us show love to people with autism and value them,”Sulani said.
Malawi has 130,000 people with autism, which is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain.
By Alufisha Fischer
