Understanding and taking better action against autism spectrum disorders

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Extract from the article: The NGO International Volunteers for Health Promotion in Africa (VISA), in collaboration with the Togolese Federation of Organisations for the Fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (FéTOL-MNT), organised a conference on autism spectrum disorders (A

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The NGO International Volunteers for Health Promotion in Africa (VISA), in collaboration with the Togolese Federation of Organisations for the Fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (FéTOL-MNT), organised a conference on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on 2 April 2025. Under the theme ‘Autism Spectrum Disorders, Understanding for Better Action’, this meeting was an opportunity for participants to reflect, share experiences and renew their collective commitment to people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families. The initiative is part of World Autism Awareness Day.

The aim of the conference was to raise awareness and provide information about ASD, in order to promote better integration of the people concerned. The conference provided an opportunity to present the actions taken by the Ministry of Health and associations to help people with autism.

‘Autistic disorders are not sufficiently well known, either by people living with this disorder, or by the general public and some carers, which means that diagnosis and screening are somewhat difficult in our country. We therefore have a duty to raise awareness among the general public and carers, but also to talk to the families who live with people with autism spectrum disorders, so that life and social integration are improved and children are not left behind in terms of education’, said Dr Oni Djagnikpo, General Secretary of FéTOL-MNT.

During the conference, four papers were presented: firstly, ‘‘The current state of ASD in Togo’’, presented byby Pr Balaka Abago, Director of the National Programme on Addiction to Psychoactive Products (PNAPP); secondly, ‘‘The medical management of ASD’, presented by Dr Sonia Kanekatoua-Agbolo, Psychiatrist at the CHU Campus of Lomé. There was also a presentation on ‘The needs of families of autistic children and the challenges of integrating them’ by M'kenne Gnansa Crépin, a psychomotrician and consultant with the NGO VISA. Finally, Tchagbataou Assibi, President of the association Autisme Togo Merveilles et Mystères (ATMM), spoke on the theme of ‘The current challenges facing autistic children’.  All these presentations helped us to understand autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a developmental disorder, characterised by abnormal or deficient development, which manifests itself in children before the age of three, with a disturbance in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, behaviours with repetitive, stereotyped gestures and restricted interests.The call for action on this day is clear: it is essential to continue efforts to ensure that people with autism can participate fully in society, while respecting their rights and fundamental freedoms.

To better support and manage mental health problems, Togo has integrated the WHOPEN project, a set of protocols for the integrated prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, for use by primary healthcare workers.  This project aims to integrate ASD screening into primary healthcare.

Current challenges in autism

A number of challenges have been identified, such as improving the quality of life of people with autism and their families, identifying risk and protective factors in this context, implementing an early prevention programme and improving access to structured multidisciplinary care. Unfortunately, there is no national prevalence study of autism spectrum disorder. Families of children with an autism spectrum disorder often find themselves isolated, facing considerable challenges in obtaining an accurate diagnosis and accessing appropriate support services.

Children with ASD most often suffer from other health problems such as epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, sleep disorders or psychiatric problems, and these different disorders reduce their quality of life. These children display a higher frequency of problem behaviours than other clinical populations or their neuro-typical peers - tantrums, physical aggression, self-mutilation and self-stimulation - which could compromise the physical integrity of the child or individual, reducing their chances of learning or integrating into their peer group. Looking after one or more children with ASD every day is a real obstacle course for parents.

Medical management of ASD

There is no absolute method or drug treatment that can claim to cure autism. However, some symptoms can be treated with medication.  It's a political and global approach in which the doctor is the orchestra conductor. He or she must be well trained to make diagnoses, with input from the various complementary assessments carried out by occupational therapists, psychomotor therapists, psychiatrists, neurologists, general practitioners and any other assessments linked to ASDs.  A combination of educational, cognitive-behavioural and developmental interventions (personalised strategies) is needed to achieve this.

Between 1 and 2% of the population live with autism in Togo. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning that the brain in the foetus has not been properly formed, and as the brain has been formed differently, the child will start to show signs from the age of 2 or 3. It is a developmental disorder characterised by abnormal or defective development. It should be made clear that autism is not an illness. Genetic and environmental factors are often at the root of it.

Esther KOLANI