Pretoria: As part of the 9-9-9 buildup campaign, the Deputy Minister of the Pretoria Department of Social Development, Mme Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, who is the District Development Model (DDM) champion of Amajuba will host training sessions on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) to educate tavern owners about the dangers associated with alcohol drinking during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
FASD is a preventable condition which impacts negatively on unborn babies as a result of mothers drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy run a risk of giving birth to unhealthy babies as alcohol is transferred through the mother’s blood on to the unborn baby through the placenta.
The 9-9-9 campaign is conducted as an interactive dialogue wherein various sectors comprising, among others, pregnant women, youth, parents of children with FASD disorder, tavern and shebeen owners and traditional leaders will participate. This initiative affords community members to exchange views on how to prevent FASD and its impact on unborn babies.
Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu runs the campaign from the first of September for nine consecutive days – a day in each province is aimed at mobilising communities against FASD. The 09th of September is commemorated annually as the International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Day with the aim of raising awareness and educating all citizens about this condition.
