Prevalence of Autism in Uganda

According to Uganda’s 2014 census, the national ASD prevalence rate was 70/10,000 persons at a population of 34,900,000[1]. Using these stats as the baseline and the most recent national population estimates of 44,120,140[2], the current prevalence rate is 88/10,000. The following table specifies the present estimates of autism prevalence in each of the four regions of Uganda.

Region Area Population ASD Population
(Estimates 2018) (88/10,000 PR)
Central 61,403.2 km2 (23,707.9 sq mi) 12,130,592 106,749
Western 55,276.6 km2 (21,342.4 sq mi) 11,303,352 99,470
Eastern 39,478.8 km2 (15,242.8 sq mi) 11,515,180 101,334
Northern 85,391.7 km2 (32,969.9 sq mi) 9,171,018 80,705
Total 44,120,143 388,258

[1] American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2013). Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

[1] Mayemba, M. (2018). Review notes of autism spectrum disorder. Kampala: Unpublished Autism report, SCAU

[1] WHO (2017). Autism spectrum disorders. Geneva: WHO

[1] Disability Support Uganda (DiSU, 2017). Autism Spectrum Disorder in Uganda. Kampala: DiSU

[1] Comer, R. J. (2016). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology. New York: Worth/Macmillan Learning.

[1] SCAU (2016). Needs assessment survey report on Autism in Central Uganda. Kampala: Unpublished Autism report, SCAU.

[1] Ibid

[1] DiSU (217); Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBoS, 2015). National Population and Housing Census 2014: National Census Main Report. Kampala: UBoS