New project launched to prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

The Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR) has officially launched a new three year project in Wolseley, the Western Cape, in order to drive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) awareness and run prevention programmes such as the Healthy Mother Healthy Baby© (HMHB) Programme.

The project is funded by the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) and the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund. The decision to run the project follows a FASD Prevalence Study that was conducted in the Witzenberg area (2010 – 2012), involving the towns and surrounding farming communities including Ceres, Bokkeveld, Op-die-Berg, Skurweberg, Wolseley, Tulbagh, Breede River Valley and Prince Alfred’s Hamlet. The highest FASD prevalence rate was found in Prince Alfred’s Hamlet (180/1000 of the population).

FARR implemented its three-year FASD awareness and prevention project in Prince Alfred’s Hamlet and also trained medical professionals, social workers and educators before coming to a successful close on 31 March 2014.

Success factors from the programme included the creation of a social worker post at the Ceres District Hospital to support pregnant women and mothers; the level of FASD awareness in the community was raised considerably; and, to date, the FASD prevalence rate among new born babies reduced significantly. In March 2015, FARR will assess the last babies born to the mothers who participated in its evidence based HMHB© Programme after which a final analysis of the data will be published.

In the same FASD Prevalence Study, it was discovered that the Wolseley and Breede River areas had the second highest FASD prevalence rate (120/1000 of the population). FARR has therefore introduced the same project to Wolseley as Prince Alfred’s Hamlet which began on 1 April, 2014.

“We are looking forward to continuing our good work in the Witzenberg area and are grateful to both our funders, the ARA and the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund for their continued support. From experience, we know that our programme models will need to be adapted according to the specific needs of the Wolseley and Breede River communities,” says FARR CEO Leana Olivier.

Critical success factors for this project include: raising awareness pertaining to FASD in the community; decreasing the FASD incidence by enrolling 100 pregnant women per annum in the HMHB© Programme; and developing the capacity in the Wolseley and Breede River areas by offering education and training programmes to community members, health professionals, social workers and educators. This will enable them to address the FASD related problems in their areas and field of work. By doing so, FARR is trying to facilitate the sustainability of the interventions to ensure the work will continue after this current project comes to an end on 31 March 2017.

“The work done by FARR illustrates how targeted interventions play an important role in reducing the misuse and abuse of alcohol, particularly in relation to FASD,” says ARA CEO Dr Osborn Mahanjana. “The Department of Health is on board by appointing one of the FARR staff members from the Prince Alfred’s Hamlet project and community leaders continue the work FARR started by spreading the positive message of not drinking during pregnancy. The ARA believes that engagement with all relevant stakeholders shows consistent results.”

For more information about the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research, please visit www.farrsa.org.za.