A Systematic Review of Research on Autism Spectrum Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The burden of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is not well known. We carried out a systematic review of the literature to identify published work from SSA. We have systematically searched four databases, namely, Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Child Development & Adolescent Studies, through EBSCO and identified studies from across SSA. Based on predefined inclusion criteria, 47 studies were included in this review. Most of the identified studies (74%) were conducted in only 2 African countries, that is, South Africa and Nigeria. Additionally, most of these studies (83%) were carried out in the last decade. These studies had four major themes: development of measurement tools of ASD in Africa, examining the prevalence of ASD, identifying risk factors and risk markers, and examining psychosocial issues. We identified only a single population level study aimed at documenting the prevalence of ASD and could not identify a single case-control study aimed at examining a comprehensive set of potential risk factors. All intervention studies were based on very small sample sizes. Put together, our findings suggest that current evidence base is too scanty to provide the required information to plan adequately for effective intervention strategies for children with ASD in Africa.

A review of screening tools for the identification of autism spectrum disorders and developmental delay in infants and young children: recommendations for use in low‐ and middle‐income countries

“…Both primary health care staff and caregivers in LMIC settings may have limited knowledge of more subtle delays or specific disorders such as autism. Autism is a prevalent and well-known neurodevelopmental disorder in HIC, but many communities in LMIC have little awareness of the disorder (Abubakar, Ssewanyana, & Newton, 2016), and affected children are less likely to be identified by primary care providers (Wallace et al, 2012). Also, establishing a relevant set of screening criteria to identify autism across different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds is difficult (Wallice & Pinto-Martin, 2008).…”

Family Roles in Developing Resilience Skills in School Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…1 in 59 children worldwide is living with autism (Centre for Disease Control, 2018). In Africa, around 1.5-3% of children are living with ASD (Abubakar, Ssewanyana, & Newton, 2016;Bakare&Munir, 2011). Prevalence ranges from 2.3% to 2.9% among children with other disabilities (Franz, Chambers, von Isenburg, & de Vries, 2017;Lagunju, Bella-Awusah, & Omigbodun, 2014), and about 1.1% in general Education settings (Essien, Akpan, & Ekanem, 2017) in Nigeria.…”

Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in Autism Spectrum Disorder and mitochondrial function

“…This prediction is based on the reported ASD incidence estimated in northern-hemisphere countries (2). There is a paucity of ASD information with little or no information available pertaining to epidemiology, diagnosis, intervention and particularly molecular genetics research from African populations (3). Currently there are only two publications reporting the genetic component of ASD in Sub-Saharan Africa (4), which highlights the importance of characterising the molecular basis of ASD in an African population.…”

“…This is in stark contrast to the European and North American ASD consortiums available to researchers working on those populations (4). South Africa has a unique population demography, and molecular investigations of a well-characterized ASD cohort can make a meaningful contribution to understanding the aetiology of this complex disorder in an understudied population(3,4).…”