Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, the deputy minister for social development, is currently bringing the 9-9-9 campaign to Delmas in Mpumalanga to spread awareness of the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
Under the direction of the Deputy Minister, the 9-9-9 Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) campaign encourages pregnant women and community members to take care of their unborn children during pregnancy over the course of nine consecutive days in nine provinces.
The 9-9-9 FASD campaign was introduced to the community of Thabazimbi in the Limpopo Province on Tuesday by Bogopane-Zulu and her team.
Bogopane-Zulu informed the audience of community members that FASD is completely preventable.
“If you want to have a child, choose wisely and abstain from alcohol while you are pregnant. No alcohol at all is secure for your unborn child.
To prevent disabilities, all society needs to do is assist and support expectant mothers, according to Bogopane-Zulu.
She continued by pointing out that South Africa is already known to have a drinking problem and that its alcohol consumption rates are among the highest in the world.
It was brought up during yesterday’s dialogues that Thabanzimbi had a culture of binge drinking among all age groups, including pregnant women.
Women admitted to drinking despite concerns about unemployment and poverty, turning to making their own “gemmer” because they couldn’t afford to buy it, according to the Deputy Minister.
She claimed that professionals had previously alerted South Africans to the risks involved with these homemade mixtures.
Home-based care provider Sarah Mawe described how she saw women who made their own “gemmer,” and when they were warned about the risks of drinking while pregnant, they would just reply, “Whose child is this? And how does it affect you in any way?
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that South Africa has the highest prevalence rates of FASD, with certain communities reporting rates as high as 28%.
The nation as a whole is thought to have a rate of at least 6%.
In addition, Bogopane-Zulu said that the only proven therapy for problems linked to alcohol use is to abstain from drinking while pregnant.