The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has called for stronger data systems to improve support for persons with autism.
Describing the condition as a cross-cutting development issue rather than a purely medical one, the minister also called for closer collaboration between government, the private sector and civil society for better results.
Speaking at the opening of the fifth edition of Guaranty Trust Bank’s (Ghana’s) annual Autism Workshop and Consultations in Accra last Tuesday, Dr Lartey added that meaningful progress required coordinated policy, sustained investment and effective collaboration with government and the private sector, warning that without reliable data on disability, planning and resource allocation would remain difficult.
“Without reliable disability data, effective planning becomes difficult. Better data leads to better policies, better targeting, better outcomes and ultimately, a more inclusive Ghana,” Dr Lartey said in a statement read on her behalf by the Chief Social Development Officer and Principal of the School of Social Work, Yvonne Norman.
The five-day programme at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), which ends on Saturday, is on the theme: “Acceptance in Action: From Family to Classroom to Workplace to Public Spaces.”
The conference brought together medical professionals, special educators, policymakers and autism advocacy groups to discuss practical ways of improving early diagnosis, strengthening support systems and promoting inclusion for persons living with autism.
Gender minister
Dr Lartey said autism intersected with health care, education, social protection, employment and human rights, making coordinated interventions essential.
She said evidence consistently demonstrated that early diagnosis and intervention significantly improved developmental outcomes, educational attainment and long-term independence for persons living with autism.
“Autism cannot be viewed solely through a health lens. It is a cross-cutting development issue that intersects with health care, education, social protection, employment and human rights,” she said.
Early screening
The Gender and Social Protection Minister said the government was strengthening systems for early screening, assessment, referrals and intervention services through collaboration with specialised assessment centres, health facilities and development partners.
Additionally, Dr Lartey said the government was investing in inclusive education through improved learning support, assistive technologies and better infrastructure to ensure disability did not become a barrier to educational achievement.
He called on businesses to move beyond treating disability inclusion as charity and instead see it as an investment in human capital and national development.
“This means creating accessible workplaces, providing internships and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, investing in assistive technologies and supporting research,” she said.
Dr Lartey invited GTBank to work with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Health, the National Council on Persons with Disabilities and academic institutions to strengthen autism and disability data systems to support evidence-based policymaking.
Commitment
The Managing Director (MD) of GTBank Ghana, Thomas Attah John, said the GTBank Group’s commitment to autism advocacy had remained firm over the past 16 years through its Orange Ribbon Initiative, which had supported families and promoted greater understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
He said the experiences of working with families over the years had demonstrated the resilience of persons living with autism and the determination of parents who had transformed their homes into environments where their children felt accepted and supported.
The GTBank MD said years of engagement with the autism community had shown that acceptance changed outcomes because people who felt understood and received opportunities were better able to learn, contribute and thrive.
Despite the progress, Mr John stated that many persons on the autism spectrum continued to face barriers in schools, workplaces and public spaces, making sustained advocacy and action essential.
“This is why the conversation must continue. Beyond raising awareness, we must work towards creating environments that recognise different abilities, remove barriers, and make inclusion a lived reality.
The responsibility belongs to all of us, and meaningful progress depends on the choices we make every day,” he said.
The Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hafez Adam Taher, commended GTBank Ghana for sustaining the initiative over the past five years, describing it as an important platform for professional training, public education and support for families affected by autism spectrum disorder.
He said the programme had strengthened the capacity of healthcare professionals, increased public awareness and provided policymakers with a better understanding of the realities facing persons living with autism.
“Acceptance is not merely a statement of goodwill. It must be woven into our policies, embedded in our institutions and reflected in our communities and everyday interactions,” he said.
Dr Taher said early identification remained one of the most effective interventions because children diagnosed and supported early generally achieved better developmental and educational outcomes.
He acknowledged that although the country had made progress through initiatives such as the National Autism Roadmap, significant challenges remained, including shortages of developmental paediatricians, child psychiatrists, speech therapists and occupational therapists, particularly outside major urban centres.
He gave an assurance that the Ministry of Health would prioritise strengthening early diagnosis at district level, expanding specialist training, improving access to evidence-based interventions, enhancing coordination between the health, education and social sectors, supporting legislative reforms and ensuring persons living with autism participated in policy development.
Attention to behaviour patterns
A Board Certified Behaviour Analyst, Lanre Duyile, urged parents, teachers and caregivers to pay closer attention to the behaviour of children living with autism, explaining that challenging behaviours often communicated unmet needs rather than deliberate misconduct.
Speaking on the topic, “Behaviour Speaks: Listen, Understand It, Take Action: Using Simple Functional Assessment in Homes and Classrooms,” he said no medication had been developed to treat autism itself, adding that evidence-based interventions such as applied behaviour analysis, speech therapy and occupational therapy remained the most effective forms of support.
