Researchers from the University of Cambridge, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) and CUHK met on 18 April to launch a new collaborative study into the prevalence of autism in mainland China. At the meeting were Prof. Sir Leszek Borysiewicz (5th right), Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge; Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung (centre), Vice-Chancellor of CUHK; and Prof. You Hong (4th right), director-general of Rehabilitation Department of the CDPF.

A pilot study conducted by the Autism Research Centre and the Institute of Public Health, both of Cambridge, suggests that autism in China is currently under-diagnosed and may be in line with Western countries’ affecting one per cent of the population. This collaboration will help to determine the estimate prevalence rate in China and enable better care and planning for these individuals.

This collaborative project is led by Dr. Sun Xiang Sophia (5th left), who recently completed her PhD in Cambridge and has joined the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at CUHK. The project will entail a large epidemiological study involving 250,000 people across 14 cities in mainland China.

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