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Milestones
Highlights
of the foundation’s contribution to combating FAS in South Africa include:
2009-2010
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Witzenberg
Prevalence Study
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2008:
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Ceres Intervention Project Phase II - mothers and their
children of approximately 9 months of age were appraised for signs of FASD.
Again the project was funded by the Department of Social Development,
Western Cape Provincial Administration. |
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Establishment
of a Training Academy – FARR
has established a FARR Training Academy.
This Academy is at present being accredited by the Health &
Welfare Seta. |
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De
Aar Brief Interventions Project – Launch
of Healthy baby, Healthy pregnancy project funded by First Rand Foundation |
2007:
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Launch
of the Upington Centre - The
official opening of the Centre took place on the 7 September, 2006. The MEC
for Social Development, Mr Goolam Akharwaray, was the guest speaker. |
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De
Aar Longitudinal follow-up study - Following
a successful funding request to Transnet, a follow-up of all the children
identified during the 2003 Prevention / Intervention programme was commenced |
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Ceres Intervention Project I - Together with Dr Sandra Marais of the South
African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), a grant proposal was written
entitled “Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder through Brief
Interventions for pregnant women: a randomized clinical trial”. This was
successfully submitted for funding to the Department of Social Development,
Western Cape Provincial Administration. |
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2006:
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New Head Office premises in Rondebosch - FARR began in 2006 with a move into the new premises at 37
Thornhill Road, Rondebosch. This move occurred after almost a decade as part
of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town. The location is
extremely fortuitous as it is adjacent to the Red Cross War Memorial
Children’s Hospital and is in a quiet, easily accessible suburb. |
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Upington Prevention
Project
- FARR
was able to establish a Community Centre in Robinson Street, Upington, after
a generous donation from WOSA (Wines of South Africa) enabled the purchase
of a building which was extensively remodelled. The centre has subsequently
been rezoned as a business property and formed the base from which the
Prevention / Intervention Project was undertaken |
2005:
| January
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A community centre is established in Upington for the evaluation of
families and prevention activities funded by SAWIT and the Northern Cape
Government
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| January
- A grant proposal for the study of functional magnetic resonance imaging
of the brains of children affected by FAS and unaffected controls, is
secured from NIAAA
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| The foundation strives to achieve its
primary aim through the following objectives |
2004:
| A grant proposal for the longitudinal
5-year follow up and study of 180 children, half of whom were exposed to
alcohol during pregnancy, was secured from NIAAA.
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| A grant proposal co-funded by the
NIAAA and NICHD, Washington, USA is secured for the study of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome in children born to mothers abusing alcohol
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| A grant proposal co-funded by the
South African Wine Industry Trust (SAWIT) and the Northern Cape Government
was secured enabling a Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
programme in Upington Northern Cape Province.
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| Meetings with the MEC for Education,
Western Cape, discussed the way forward for caring for FASD-affected
children within the current education system.
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2003:
| A grant is received from the Wines of
South Africa (WOSA) organisation for the establishment of a Community
Centre in Robertson
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| The first grant from the March of
Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, New York, is secured for Molecular
Genetics Studies in families with FASD-affected children.
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| Dr Andre van der Westhuizen, a
graduate from the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria,
becomes the third member of the FARR Fellowship for training in Medical
Genetics
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2002:
| November
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The South Africa-US Co-operation Forum Health Committee meets in Cape
Town, South Africa, to review the results from FAS research undertaken by
the South African and US investigators. The committee discusses planned
future studies and agrees to develop a research agenda that builds on
research results and develop plans and policies to reduce the incidence
and impact of fetal alcohol syndrome in South Africa and the US.
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| October
– Dr Louisa Bhengu is qualified through the College of Medicine of South
Africa as South Africa’s first sub-specialist in the field of Medical
Genetics after a two-year FARR fellowship.
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| September
- A three-year co-operative agreement is drawn up between CDC and FARR to
focus on FAS prevention and epidemiology in South Africa.
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| June - CDC, through its International Experience and
Technical Assistance (EITA) programme assigns an expert to provide
short-term epidemiology assistance to the University of Witwatersrand. |
2001:
| South Africa plays host to the
international conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the
developing world. FASD, under the auspices of FARR, features high on the
conference agenda and a satellite workshop is attended by 250 delegates. |
| The Minister of Health of South
Africa, Dr Mantombazana Tshabalala-Msimang, releases national “Policy
Guidelines for the Management and Prevention of Genetic Disorders, Birth
Defects and Disabilities”. FAS is one of four priority conditions
identified in the policy guidelines
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1999:
| January – Dr Nathaniel Khaole
completes his studies in the field of medical genetics and birth defects
as FARR’s first beneficiary of the foundation’s fellowship and
education programme. |
1998:
| NCEH/DBDCD completes a site visit and
provides technical assistance in data analysis.
|
| September - The CDC through its OGH
provides support to NCEH for a capacity building surveillance project in
the Gauteng Province in South Africa.
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| February - Dr David Satcher,
Surgeon-General of the United States, participates in the Gore/Mbeki
Bi-national Commission and completes a site visit to the Western Cape. He
recommends CDC involvement in FAS in South Africa.
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| Through FARR, the NIAAA takes the lead
by funding FAS epidemiological studies as well as related projects in
South Africa
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1997:
| The health working group within the Al
Gore/Thabo Mbeki Bi-national Commission highlights the FAS problem facing
South Africa.
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| The Centres for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in the United States provides technical assistance for
data collection and processing.
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| The United States government, through
the NIH Center on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), conducts a site
visit to South Africa and reports a serious problem related to FAS among
children of all ages.
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| January - The Foundation for Alcohol
Related Research is established to help pioneer and co-ordinate research
into fetal alcohol syndrome in South Africa.
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1995:
| Professor Denis Viljoen travels to the
United States to present preliminary findings from clinical research
carried out in the wine-growing region of the Western Cape
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Contact
Information
Telephone:
+27 (0) 21 686 2645 /6/7
Fax:
+27
(0) 21 685-7034
Postal address
37 Thornhill Road, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa
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- Electronic
mail
- CEO
: Leana Olivier
-
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this web site.
Copyright © 2008 Farr
Last modified: April 20, 2010.
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