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

Nathan A Shlobin; Kemel A Ghotme; Anastasia Arynchyna-Smith; Martina Gonzalez Gomez; Sarah Woodrow; Jeffrey Blount; Gail Rosseau

doi:10.1016/j.nec.2024.05.003

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

Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2024 Oct;35(4):411-420. doi: 10.1016/j.nec.2024.05.003. Epub 2024 Jun 18.

Authors

Nathan A Shlobin¹, Kemel A Ghotme², Anastasia Arynchyna-Smith³, Martina Gonzalez Gomez⁴, Sarah Woodrow⁵, Jeffrey Blount⁶, Gail Rosseau⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 West 168th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² 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.
³ 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: [email protected].
⁴ 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.
⁵ Department of Neurological Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Neuroscience Institute, 1 Akron General Avenue, Akron, OH 44307, USA.
⁶ 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.
⁷ 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.

PMID: 39244313
DOI: 10.1016/j.nec.2024.05.003

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.

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

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Food, Fortified*
Global Health*
Humans
Leadership*
Neural Tube Defects* / prevention & control
Neural Tube Defects* / surgery
Neurosurgeons
Neurosurgery
Stakeholder Participation
World Health Organization