The Gauteng Department of Social Development is strengthening its prevention and awareness efforts to protect unborn children from the harmful effects of alcohol exposure during pregnancy as the country observes Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Day on 9 September.
The awareness day serves as an opportunity to highlight the lifelong impact that alcohol exposure during pregnancy can have on children while encouraging families and communities to take greater responsibility for prevention. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can affect a child’s physical development, learning, behaviour and ability to function independently, with the condition remaining preventable when alcohol is avoided during pregnancy.
For the department, FAS Day is part of its broader and ongoing efforts to prevent substance abuse and address the social challenges associated with alcohol and other substance use. Rather than treating the awareness day as a once-off campaign, the department says prevention must be sustained through education, early intervention, treatment and support for individuals and families.
One of the programmes forming part of these prevention efforts is Ke Moja, a substance abuse prevention initiative aimed particularly at children and young people. The programme provides young people with information and life skills to help them make informed decisions, deal with peer pressure and avoid substance use. In recent financial years, Ke Moja has reached more than a million beneficiaries, highlighting the department’s focus on engaging young people before substance-related problems develop.
The department’s services extend beyond prevention and awareness campaigns. Through government programmes and partnerships with funded non-profit organisations, communities can access substance abuse treatment, rehabilitation, aftercare and reintegration services. These interventions are also intended to assist families dealing with the wider social consequences of substance abuse and connect vulnerable individuals with the support they need.
Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, said preventing FASD requires a collective effort and should not be viewed as the responsibility of pregnant women alone. She said families, partners, young people, schools, healthcare and social service professionals, liquor outlets, traditional leaders and communities all have a role to play in creating environments that protect unborn children.
“Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is preventable, and this places a responsibility on all of us to protect unborn children. Our work through programmes such as Ke Moja has shown the importance of reaching young people early, giving them information and helping them make responsible choices,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
She added that support should also be available to families raising children affected by FASD, particularly where developmental and learning difficulties create additional challenges. The department’s approach includes connecting vulnerable families with social workers, treatment and rehabilitation services, early intervention programmes and other forms of assistance.
FASD can have lifelong consequences, which means early identification and support can be important in helping affected children and their families navigate education, social services and other systems. The department therefore says awareness must be accompanied by practical support for families who may already be dealing with the effects of alcohol-related harm.
As part of the FAS Day observance, the Gauteng Department of Social Development is calling on communities to have open and informed conversations about alcohol use during pregnancy. It is also encouraging women of child-bearing age and their families to seek accurate information and make use of available support services.
The department is further urging people struggling with alcohol or other substance use to seek assistance rather than facing the problem alone. It says prevention, treatment and recovery remain central to Gauteng’s response to substance abuse, with continued efforts to expand access to services through government programmes and social development partners.
