Health Minister Forms Committee To Develop Autism Care Guidelines

Nepal’s Health Minister, Pradeep Poudel, has formed a 10-member committee to create guidelines for caring for children with autism. The committee will be led by Dr. Deepak Prakash Mahar.

The committee includes Deepak Raj Sapkota, Dr. Sunita Maleku, Dr. Merina Shrestha, and Dr. Arun Kunwar, along with Dhruv Kedar Adhikari, Santosh Raijamji, Umesh Tamang, and representatives from the Leprosy Control and Disability Management Branch. The head of the Ministry’s Multisectoral Coordination Branch will be the committee's Secretary.

The committee’s goal is to study ways to include autism prevention in health programs and create guidelines for autism care, treatment, and support. It will also develop a plan for working with government and non-government organizations in the field.

According to Nepal’s 2021 Census, 4,884 people have autism, but the World Health Organization estimates the number may be closer to 300,000.

Minister Poudel has recently spoken with autism experts to get their input on the next steps.