Qatar Foundation hosts World Autism Awareness Day event

Qatar Foundation (QF) hosted a World Autism Awareness Day event today under the umbrella of Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

The event, which took place at Al Shaqab in Education City, featured information booths, as well as a number of local entities placed in dedicated spaces around the arena, with representatives on site readily available to interact with visitors and answer questions. These included the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), Renad Academy, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC). Throughout the day, families also enjoyed horse riding, face painting, and a range of interactive games designed to raise awareness of the condition.

Machaille Al-Naimi, President of Community Development, QF, who attended the event, said: “We are delighted to host such an important event today, and to see so many members of the community in attendance.”

“Through our World Autism Awareness Day activities, we aim to raise awareness. We want to demonstrate that while autism may be a permanent condition, treatment and therapy can lead to improvements. We believe that this event showcases our commitment to serving the whole community.”

World Autism Awareness Day was first proposed by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), to the United Nations in 2007, and was adopted without a vote by the UN General Assembly. The first World Autism Awareness Day was celebrated on April 2, 2008.