Neuroscience Engagement and Outreach on Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Report from India.

Abstract

The current project was funded by the Global Engagement Seed Grant from the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) as part of the IBRO-led Global Engagement Initiative. The project was focused on public awareness about neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) as well as neuroscience engagement. Thus, the project had two specific aims: (a) public awareness about epidemiology, diagnosis, risk factors, prevention of NDDs and relevant government guidelines and available policies (b) public engagement in neuroscience. Therefore, the current project report with an emphasis on the requirement of neuroscience engagement and outreach at the societal level, highlights several activities such as population-based workshops and webinars, carried out as part of the project in both rural and urban areas to enhance the public engagement in neuroscience and awareness on several NDDs.

Key message: India is an extremely diverse country with significant variations in cultural, educational, financial, socioeconomic status and linguistic aspects. With about 27% of its population living below the poverty line, India accounts for about 23 million children suffering from a disability, most of whom do not seek medical help. These data highlight the gravity of the situation which calls for urgent actions from governments, healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers to design adequate public awareness programs regarding several prevalent NDDs. Therefore, the current project was an effort to bring public awareness about brain health and the epidemiology, diagnosis and prevention of NDDs and relevant government guidelines and available policies.