Group launches no-alcohol consumption campaign in pregnancy

Two brands from Nigerian Breweries Plc, Maltina and Amstel Malta, have launched an advocacy campaign to discourage alcohol consumption by pregnant women tagged ‘Mission Nine Zero’.

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This was disclosed in a statement by the company’s media team on Friday.

According to the statement, the Managing Director of NB Plc, Hans Essaadi, while speaking during the flag-off, disclosed that the initiative was introduced in line with Heineken’s vision of addressing pressing social and environmental challenges through its ‘Brew a Better World’ strategy (also known as BaBW).

Essaadi also noted that the campaign had become necessary to raise awareness among pregnant women about the dangers of consuming alcohol, which may include causing harm to unborn babies.

He said, “This campaign is not only focused on pregnant women but also a call to collective action against this growing societal concern.

“This year, we continue to consolidate our existing BaBW initiatives by introducing Mission Nine-Zero, which is aimed at curbing the detrimental effects of alcohol misuse, notably among pregnant women. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has serious health effects on children, which could affect the quality of life they will live.

“As we all know, children are the future, and the onus is therefore upon us to protect that future by ensuring we deliver healthy babies while safeguarding the health of their mothers.”

In her remarks, the Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Sade Morgan, said that studies had shown that there was a prevalent rate of alcohol abuse during pregnancy, with the South-West region accounting for 12.7 per cent while 59 per cent of pregnant women from South-South region consumed alcohol.

She explained that the campaign engaged 500 direct advocates and 50,000 pregnant women through its Amstel and Maltina brands.