THE NORTH CAROLINA
FOLIC ACID COUNCIL:
WHO WE ARE — AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
North Carolina had one of the
highest rates of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the nation.
In 1995, NTDs were three times more common in the western
part of the state than in the rest of the world. Since studies
indicate that folic acid may play a key role in preventing
NTDs, the March of Dimes joined a coalition of public health
partners to form the North Carolina Neural Tube Defects
Task Force in 1994.
After changing our name to the NC Folic Acid Council, we
began our efforts in western North Carolina. Thanks in part
to the Council's comprehensive educational campaign aimed
at women of childbearing age, the rate of NTDs in this region
declined by almost 75 percent between 1995 and 2002.
To promote the benefits and consumption of folic acid, the
North Carolina Folic Acid Council seeks to raise awareness
and encourage behavior change among the public, health care
professionals and community agencies through a fully integrated
educational and media campaign, printed materials and reminder
items such as mirror clings.
| Some of the Council's innovative initiatives include: |
- Office Champion, a program
in which staff and consultants make presentations
at medical offices, then identify a "champion"
within each office to spread the word about multivitamins
containing folic acid among co-workers and patients
- Community Ambassador, an ongoing
effort to train lay health educators to give presentations
to community groups
- Point 4 the Future, a folic
acid education project created in 2000 to reach
college-age women through their campuses and student
health centers
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