The South African Breweries Ltd (SAB) announced today that it will be partnering with FASfacts, a local non-profit organization, in order to work towards combating Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
In terms of the partnership, SAB has provided a sponsorship of R1-million which will ensure that 1050 children, 525 adults and 95 shebeen owners benefit from the project.
This partnership forms part of a wide range of initiatives that SAB is undertaking to tackle the abuse of alcohol. Other initiatives include working with retailers to implement a responsible trading policy; investing in Alcohol Evidence Centres around the country together with local and provincial law enforcement agencies; and implementing a hard hitting advertising campaign, called Reality Check, to raise awareness of drink and driving issues.
Whereas the prevalence of FAS in developed countries such as the USA varies from 0,1 to 0,8% of the population, the Western and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa have the highest reported incidence of FAS worldwide. In certain rural areas, FAS has been diagnosed in 122 out of every 1 000 children – a staggering 12,2%. In addition, the prevalence rate of Alcohol Exposure is always far higher than the FAS rate. As a result, an unknown number of children are prenatally damaged due to their mothers’ alcohol consumption.
FAS is however more than a mental disability – it is a social disorder with immense cost implications for both government and society. FASfacts’ main priority is to educate the public about the severe damaging effects of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The NGO aims to highlight the effects of FAS and draw attention to the crisis in South Africa, with the intention of working towards eradicating its effects and reducing the number of children born with FAS, FASfacts also aims to ease the financial burden carried by the societies associated with the combating, or the treatment of, FAS.
The specific FASfacts campaign in which SAB will be involved will be focused on the Northern Cape and Western Cape regions with the highest recorded incident rate of FAS in South Africa.
Due to the financial support from SAB, FASfacts is in a position to erect a permanent office in Upington in the Northern Cape. This will serve as the operational base from where FASFacts will roll-out the FAS prevention programs in the Northern Cape.
Working together with schools and amongst the working youth, adults and shebeen owners on farms and in communities, FASfacts will conduct age specific communication to ensure an effective educative program. The programs will also be specifically tailored to both males and females. They are designed in such a manner that every participant who completes it can extend the project by communicating with an additional 16 other people, meaning a further 16800 people will be influenced indirectly.
“Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a severe issue which we seek to combat by working together with affected communities. At SAB, we are committed in creating real interventions which have tangible results and improve the standards of living. For us it’s all about leading by example. A partnership with FASfacts will allow us to reach different audiences to ensure the affects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy are successfully communicated,” commented Anele Malumo, General Manager, SAB (Central Region).
“FASfacts is proud to be associated with SA Breweries in their endeavours to fight the scourge of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in South Africa. We are very thankful for the substantial funding we have been given to establish an office in Upington from where we will manage our Northern Cape operations.
FASfacts considers SA Breweries to be one of the key role-players in assisting to decrease the prevalence rate of FAS. We may have the best FAS-prevention programs, but if we do not have the funding to implement the programs on ground level, it will come to nothing and our efforts will be in vain. FASfacts is very aware of the positive attitude SAB has towards educating communities regarding responsible drinking. The responsible thing to do when you are pregnant is to totally abstain from consuming any alcohol. FASfacts congratulates SAB for taking a leading role in this regard within the liquor industry.
I believe that the different communities where we will be involved, will gain the most out of the partnership between SAB and FASfacts, and that is how it should be.
I also believe that this partnership will grow from strength to strength as time goes by. We are looking forward, with great excitement to see how this partnership will develop.
Thank you once again to SA Breweries for their support” says FASfacts CEO & founder, Francois Grobbelaar.
