Stop FASD from stealing futures: SA’s urgent call to action for awareness

SOUTH Africa has the highest rate of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the world.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

This serious issue needs our attention, especially with International FASD Awareness Day today.

FASD is a preventable but devastating public health crisis for children, and it keeps causing harm across generations.

What is FASD?

FASD refers to a range of lifelong physical, mental, and behavioural disorders caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Even small amounts of alcohol can harm a developing foetus, impacting brain development, learning abilities, and overall health. The effects are irreversible.

In some parts of South Africa, like the Western and Northern Cape, FASD affects as many as one in three children.

Exacerbating this crisis are factors such as widespread binge drinking, intergenerational poverty, and the pervasive normalisation of alcohol consumption, even among expectant mothers.

FASD affects more than just the child. It can destabilise families, put pressure on healthcare, and weaken communities. Children with FASD often struggle with learning, memory, and behaviour for life. Many also grow up in unsafe homes where alcohol abuse leads to violence, neglect, and trauma.