Raising awareness of autism in Africa

Enhancing health worker training to improve the outlook for rural Ethiopians with autism and mental health issues

Multidisciplinary research by Dr Rosa Hoekstra and colleagues at the OU and Addis Ababa University is contributing to the awareness and management of autism in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Hoekstra was the academic editor on the mental health component of HEAT (Health Education and Training), an OU-led programme launched in Ethiopia in 2011, to upgrade the training of thousands of frontline healthcare workers.

They provide basic healthcare for families in rural areas, where understanding of mental health and childhood developmental problems, such as autism, is limited and where support services do not exist.

'The work has the potential to reach 33,000 Ethiopian health extension workers, making them better equipped to deal with mental health issues and autism in rural areas.'

The research team is currently enhancing the existing HEAT mental health materials, to increase the impact of the programme in raising awareness of autism and other mental health issues. 

“The work is likely to make a huge impact because it potentially reaches 33,000 Ethiopian health extension workers,” says Dr Hoekstra.

The team conducts research into the experiences of the parents of a child with autism in Ehtiopia.  As well as helping to evaluate the impact of the HEAT materials, Dr Hoekstra’s research is acting as a catalyst for sustainable capacity-building of autism research in Ethiopia, which, in time, should lead to improved practice.

Dr Hoekstra has a track record of ground-breaking autism research, including a range of twin and family studies of autistic traits, which have provided supportive evidence for the strong genetic influences on autism.

Her epidemiological studies have contributed to the use of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a frequently used measure to assess autistic traits, both in a research context and in the clinic.

Dr Hoekstra is part of a group of autism researchers at The Open University. Dr Hoekstra, Dr Paul Gabbott, Dr Payam Rezaie, Dr Ilona Roth and Professor Steve Swithenby work collectively to examine the genetic, biological and cultural aspects of autism, and how cellular and molecular processes link with cognitive and behavioural outcomes in autism.

OU colleagues Dr Basiro Davey (HEAT deputy director Ethiopia) and Lesley-Anne Long (HEAT director) are co-investigators on the Autism Speaks-funded Ethiopia project; Dr Bethlehem Tekola works on this project as a postdoctoral research associate, whilst Dr Ilona Roth provides expert autism input into the HEAT mental health enhancements.