ReviewAnnals of medicine and surgery (2012)2023
Autism in Africa: prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and the impact of social and cultural factors on families and caregivers: a review.
Review in Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Years Lived With Disability in Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa, From 1990 to 2023.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Community Perceptions of the Causes of Autism and Help-Seeking Responses: A Multi-Site Qualitative Study Across Northern Uganda.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2026Article
- Sex differences in the global burden of autism spectrum disorders: An analysis based on GBD 2021 data.Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026Article
- The Contribution of Ethnicity to the Association ofBrain sciences · 2026Review
- Mothers' knowledge and home care practices for children with autism spectrum disorder in Diwaniyah, Iraq.Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- A framework to improve parental participation in the hospital care of autistic children in the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal.African journal of disability · 2026Article
- The Social and Communicational Profile of Children Identified with Autism in Ethiopia.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Global, Regional, and National Burden of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Trends and Decomposition Analysis From 1990 to 2021, and Projections for 2045.Actas espanolas de psiquiatria · 2025Article
- Caregiving for autistic children in Nigeria: experiences and challenges.Discover mental health · 2025Article
- Rethinking body representations in autism across cultures.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Resilient narratives of a single mother raising a child with autism spectrum disorder: A neurodiversity perspective.African journal of disability · 2025Article
- Caregivers' voices: From the world of autism spectrum disorder.Curationis · 2024Article
- Experiences of caregivers of children with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings · 2024Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on child and adolescent mental health among healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.International journal of mental health systems · 2024Article
- Exploring knowledge of autism, its causes and treatment among immigrant and nonimmigrant parents in Somalia\Somaliland.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2024Article
- Clinical profile of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in Durban, South Africa.The South African journal of psychiatry : SAJP : the journal of the Society of Psychiatrists of South Africa · 2024Article
- The Unmasking of Autism in South Africa and Nigeria.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2024Review
- Intercontinental insights into autism spectrum disorder: a synthesis of environmental influences and DNA methylation.Environmental epigenetics · 2024Review
- Genetic etiology of autism spectrum disorder in the African population: a scoping review.Frontiers in genetics · 2024Article
- Behavioral guidance for improving dental care in autistic spectrum disorders.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This paper presents a narrative review of current knowledge on autism in Africa, including prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and the impact of social and cultural factors on families and caregivers. The prevalence of autism in Africa is estimated to be similar to that in other regions. However, diagnosis and treatment access remain limited due to various challenges, such as a shortage of specialised healthcare professionals and resources, a lack of awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among healthcare providers, and cultural stigma surrounding mental health and developmental disorders. Alternative therapies are commonly used with other therapies, but their effectiveness is often unproven. The impact of ASD on families and caregivers in Africa is significant, with many facing challenges in accessing support services and coping with stigma. Efforts are being made to increase awareness and reduce the stigma around ASD in African communities, but more research is needed on effective interventions and culturally appropriate treatments. Policy recommendations include increasing resources and training for healthcare professionals, improving access to evidence-based interventions and promoting community awareness and support. With improved understanding and investment, the quality of life of individuals with ASD in Africa can be significantly improved.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.