Ms. Saima Wazed Hossain, Chairperson of the Global Autism Public Health Initiative of Bangladesh is answering the questions of delegates at the UNICEF conference on Disability Partnership Forum in New York on Sep 14th near the  Bangladesh booth.

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USA NEWS ONLINE : Chairperson of Bangladesh Global Autism Public Health Advocacy Initiative Ms. Saima Wazed Hossain participated at the 2-days special event on 'Partnership on Early Childhood Development and Disability Disorders' organized by UNICEF at its Headquarters in New York on Sept 13-14, 2012.  Delegates from many countries attended the event while few countries namely Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Haiti et al established their booths at the event.  Dr. Mazhar Mannan of Bangabandhu Medical University and Mr. M. Hussain, a UNICEF consultant also attended the event from Bangladesh.

Ms. Saima Wazed said that as per WHO estimate more than a billion people live with some form of disability which equates to approximately 15% of the world's population. Among these between 110 million(2.2%) and 190 million (3.8%) adults have very significant difficulties in functioning.  She further mentioned that, nearly 1 out of 55 boys have autism in USA that sharply increased from 1 out of 70 only couple of years ago. She said, Bangladesh although not a rich country has been engaged in facing these challenges and it is doing much better than many others. However, she emphasized the need for partnership to manage this emerging challenge.

Earlier she met many diplomats and senior officials and appraised them of her efforts to face common challenges through her South Asian Autism Network (SAAN) and talked about the upcoming the First Annual Meeting of SAAN in New Delhi to be held in January, 2013. Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN Dr. Abdul Momen earlier mentioned that they are expecting participation of nearly 31 First Ladies including Michelle Obama of USA at the Autism Event that is being organized during the upcoming UN General Assembly session on September 27, 2012 in which Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be the Chief Guest while Mrs. Ban ki-moon will preside over the event.  US-NGO Autism Speaks founders Mr. and Mrs. Suzanne and Bob Wrights would coordinate the event.

Ms. Saima Hossain was an invited guest of the UNICEF and she arrived yesterday from Toronto, Canada and left for Canada today immediately after the event.

While Ms. Saima Hossain is explaining visitors of Bangladesh booth at the UNICEF HQs, Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN Dr. Abdul Momen, New Jersey MUA Commissioner & ETV USA Chief Coordinator Dewan A Chowdhury Bojlu and ETV Chief Reporter (New York Office) Mohammed Shakhawat Hossain Salim watching few campaigns of the Bangladesh Booth, Sept 14, 2012 in New York.