No amount of alcohol is acceptable for pregnant women says Deputy Minister of Social Development.
The 9-9-9 campaign is commemorated every year as International Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is a preventable condition that impacts negatively on unborn babies as a result of alcohol intake by mothers during pregnancy.
This condition also causes mental and physical life-long problems for unborn babies when mothers consume alcohol while pregnant and when breastfeeding.
Women who drink alcohol when they are pregnant run the risk of giving birth to unhealthy babies because of alcohol which is transferred through the mother’s blood and passes it on to the unborn baby through the placenta.
It is against this context that the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mrs Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, launched the 9-9-9 Foetal Alcohol Syndrome campaign on Wednesday, September 1 in Limpopo to educate communities about dangers associated with alcohol drinking while pregnant and breastfeeding.
On the following day, the deputy minister was in eMalahleni at the Rocks of Ages Church International for the launch in Mpumalanga.
She was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Ms Nobuhle Nkabane, Mpumalanga MEC for Social Development Ms Lindiwe Ntshalitshali, and the Executive Mayor of Emalahleni Cllr Linah Malatjie.
The campaign will be launched as an interactive dialogue wherein various sectors comprising of, among others, pregnant women, youth, parents of children with FAS disorder, tavern and shebeen owners, and traditional leaders.
This initiative affords community members to exchange views on how to prevent Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and its impact on children.
The 9-9-9 campaign, which will run throughout nine consecutive days ending on September 9, is commemorated every year as International Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day.
The day seeks to raise awareness by educating all citizens about this condition.
The Department of Social Development is the lead department in the coordination and implementation of the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP) which is aimed at achieving a drug-free society for the benefit of all South Africans.
The department also has a role to implement programmes targeting at preventing alcohol-related social ills including gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, HIV and Aids chronic and dysfunctional communities.
The deputy minister also explained that each campaign has its ribbon and that the ribbon symbolises a sense of touch with the unborn baby and the placenta.
Personal alarms were also presented. She urged the mothers to take care of themselves, love themselves, and not to drink while pregnant and while breastfeeding.
Different stakeholders made their presentations and gave statistics and dialogue was also heard as people gave their views about the campaign. Some of the people will be referred for assistance and help.
An official from the liquor industry was also invited because the deputy minister believes that they are part of the solution. A pledge was also signed by the different stakeholders.
9-9-9 stands for nine consecutive days in nine provinces leading up to September 9, which is International Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day, and that mothers carry their babies for nine months.
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