Raising awareness around FASD

THE PROVINCIAL government marked Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day with an oversight visit to Atlantis.

Health MEC Dr Nomafrench Mbombo and Social Development MEC Albert Fritz visited the Protea Park Clinic along with NGO partners, including the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR).

Protea Park Clinic renders anti-FASD services including community workers who raise awareness in the surrounding community.

The MECs also visited the Orion Wilge Daycare Centre, an early childhood development centre that serves children with special needs.

The impact of FASD on children is irreversible, and drinking while pregnant is a massive injustice to an unborn child.

FASD is fully preventable, yet it continues to affect children in the Western Cape.

According to research conducted by FARR, South Africa has the highest incidences of FASD in the world.

Some six million people in South Africa are irrevocably affected by having been exposed to alcohol in the womb. The Western Cape is particularly affected by the most serious form of FASD, namely foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

A 2016 study funded by the Department of Social Development indicated that the prevalence of FASD in the West Coast was 64 children per 1 000 affected (6.42%).

Raising awareness through public campaigns was the first and most important step towards prevention, the Western Cape government said.

“Today, I visited the home of an expectant mother to highlight the importance of avoiding alcohol while pregnant. Under my leadership, we have identified alcohol as game changer; where the focus is on alcohol harms reduction in society, and FAS is one aspect where we need to emphasise awareness about the harms of alcohol to our children,” Mbombo said.

“(We) cannot beat FASD alone, we need commitment from communities and families to curb underage drinking, tackle illegal shebeens, and encourage responsible supply by industry,” the provincial government said.

“Our communities also require effective policing and municipal by laws, to aid in fighting the scourge of alcohol abuse. Most importantly, we call on pregnant women to take responsibility for their unborn babies and to not drink alcohol. We will only be able to tackle FASD properly, if we continue to work ‘Better Together’.” – Staff Reporter