Health and Wellness
- Whether her Department has statistics available on children diagnosed with ADHD; if so, what are the relevant details for (a) 2020/21, (b) 2021/22, (c) 2022/23, (d) 2023/24 and (e) 2024/25 to date;
- whether her Department has systems in place to assist families with children diagnosed with ADHD; if so, what are the relevant details?
(1) The Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness does not routinely collect data on the number of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, information is available on the number of individuals under 18 years of age who have been dispensed methylphenidate (Ritalin) for ADHD in the public healthcare sector.
The figures for each calendar year are:
(a) 2020: 9 163
(b) 2021: 7 826
(c) 2022: 7 788
(d) 2023: 6 844
(e) 2024: 7 377
2025 (year to date up to 11 March 2025): 3 400
These numbers exclude children with mild or moderate ADHD who do not require medication, or those who have not yet started treatment. They also exclude patients who are diagnosed and receive medication outside the public health system.
Further information may be available from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
(2) The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness does have systems in place to assist families with children diagnosed with ADHD. Inter-sectoral collaboration between the Department of Health and Wellness, the Department of Social Development, and the WCED is central to providing support. Schools typically identify learners for assessment, referring them to local public healthcare facilities for diagnosis and treatment.
At primary healthcare level, particularly in the metro, standard operating procedures allow for simpler diagnoses of ADHD, with medical officers trained to manage uncomplicated cases. Where more complex diagnoses are suspected, referral pathways to specialised services are used. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, families can collect medication at public healthcare facilities. Certain sites also offer after-hours collection for parents, and some schools are designated collection points.
These steps, along with the integrated school health service (involving school nurses and local healthcare facilities), aim to bring services closer to communities. Nonetheless, challenges remain with consistent referral processes, recognising ADHD symptoms in various cultural contexts, and ensuring that school-based support teams function uniformly across districts.
