Kamal Jabar, the head of the Kurdistan Autism Association, stated that there are currently 3,900 individuals diagnosed with autism in the Kurdistan Region, with the majority of cases located in Erbil province.

On April 2, coinciding with World Autism Awareness Day, the association expressed concern regarding the shortage of autism training centers and their insufficient capacity to address the growing number of cases. According to the association, the number of autism cases in the Kurdistan Region continues to rise.

Based on the association’s statistics, Erbil province has 1,350 autism cases, with 80% of those affected being boys and 20% girls. Sulaymaniyah and Halabja provinces follow with a total of 950 autism cases, where 79% are boys and 21% are girls. Garmian has reported 350 cases of autism, 80% of whom are boys and 20% are girls.

Duhok ranks third with 900 cases, where 77% are boys and 23% are girls, while Zakho has 350 cases, with 76% of those affected being boys and 24% girls.

In 2008, one in 150 children in the Kurdistan Region was diagnosed with autism. Today, however, the ratio has decreased to one in 90 children, and there are concerns that in a few years, the rate could increase to one in 20 children, meaning one child in every family.

The association also warned that 50 families have been torn apart due to neglect of the condition, and some children have been left without proper care and support, with 80% of families affected by autism also experiencing mental health challenges and requiring treatment.

Since 2007, the United Nations has designated April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day to promote awareness and understanding of autism globally.