A Nigerian advocacy group, Ferdinand Effah Music Heritage Foundation, has called for the inclusion of regenerative stem cell medicine for children living with Autism into the National Health Insurance Scheme managed by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The group, in a statement signed by its president, Stanley Effah, said children with autism have to push past many barriers to actualise themselves in life.
Mr Effah said there is an urgent need to commence dialogue on the chances and prospect of including regenerative stem cell medicine for children with autism under the NHIA social health insurance coverage and benefits package.
He said till date, autism has no cure, despite successes recorded around some of the very expensive treatment approaches including, but not limited to music therapy.
“These children and their families suffer tremendous stigmatisation and discrimination from society which further compound the challenges they go through, especially with the high cost of treatment for autism which remains a trauma to families affected by the condition,” he said.
Autism has been identified as a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted behaviors.
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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one out of 160 children lives with Autism worldwide. Statistics also show there are 135 million established cases of autism in the world and more than one million children and teenagers suffering from this condition live in Nigeria.
Although data on autism in Nigeria and Africa generally is sketchy, a 2014 research indicated that 54 of the observed sample of 2,320 children in Nigeria had autism.
Mr Effah said the ground-breaking development proffered under stem cell clinical therapy is more promising as hopes of children affected by the condition is beginning to see the much-awaited light.
He explained that this clinical alternative standard introduced under regenerative stem cell is the area almost 90 per cent of families would desire to explore.
He, however, said more families will explore the option when there is room for affordability and financial access through social health insurance coverage, especially to the benefit of the underprivileged.
Mr Effah said a specialised healthcare provider readily available in Nigeria for the treatment is already in the process of completing a partnership agreement with the foundation’s charity project scheme on a 30- 40 per cent discount rate.
“It is therefore our solemn endorsement that the management of NHIA may consider giving room to our call for inclusion,” he said.
