Neurosurgical Advocacy in the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects: Impacting Global Fortification Policies Through Leadership, Collaboration, and Stakeholder Engagement

Authors

• Nathan A. Shlobin, Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 West 168th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: nshlobin@gmail.com.
• Kemel A. Ghotme, Translational Neuroscience Research Lab, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de La Sabana, Carrera 7 No. 117 - 15, Bogota, Columbia; Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota, Campus del Puente del Común, Km. 7, Autopista Norte de Bogotá. Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/KemelG.
• Anastasia Arynchyna-Smith, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Avenue South, Lowder 400, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. Electronic address: arynch@uab.edu.
• Martina Gonzalez Gomez, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Avenue South, Lowder 400, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
• Sarah Woodrow, Department of Neurological Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Neuroscience Institute, 1 Akron General Avenue, Akron, OH 44307, USA.
• Jeffrey Blount, Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Avenue South, Lowder 400, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/Jpb1007Jeffrey.
• Gail Rosseau, Department of Neurological Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2150 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 7 South, Washington, DC 20037, USA; Barrow Global, Barrow Neurological Institute, 2910 North Third Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/grosseaumd.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

10-1-2024

Journal

Neurosurgery clinics of North America

Volume

35

Issue

4

DOI

10.1016/j.nec.2024.05.003

Keywords

Anencephaly; Folate fortification; Folic acid fortification; Global health; Global surgery; Neural tube defects; Neurosurgical disease; Spina bifida

Abstract

The G4 Alliance and its member organizations formed a delegation that participated in the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2023, which unanimously adopted the resolution to address micronutrient deficiencies through safe, effective food fortification to prevent congenital disorders such as spina bifida and anencephaly, the first neurosurgery-led resolution since the founding of the World Health Organization. The WHA included other resolutions and side events by the G4 Alliance and other organizations relevant to neurosurgery. An opportunity exists for neurosurgeons to harness the momentum from this resolution to promote initiatives to prevent neurosurgical disease or expand access to neurosurgical care.

APA Citation

Shlobin, Nathan A.; Ghotme, Kemel A.; Arynchyna-Smith, Anastasia; Gomez, Martina Gonzalez; Woodrow, Sarah; Blount, Jeffrey; and Rosseau, Gail, "Neurosurgical Advocacy in the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects: Impacting Global Fortification Policies Through Leadership, Collaboration, and Stakeholder Engagement" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 5920.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/5920

Department

Neurological Surgery