Autism awareness in Ivory Coast: Little help and funding to help with care and diagnosis

Between taboo, stigmatisation and the cost of treatment, the management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains difficult in Ivory Coast. The WHO estimates that 1% of the population is affected, but no official study has been conducted in the country. The structures for children with disabilities are almost non-existent, and the medical profession has very little training in the treatment of autism. The hospital in Bouaké, in central Ivory Coast, and the NGO Mindful Change launched a community mental health project in 2018. On the occasion of International Autism Awareness Day, FRANCE 24's correspondents Sophie Lamotte and Ange Nomenyo went to meet the doctors who make care accessible to the most isolated.