Abstract:
supplementing folic acid (FA) before and in the 1st month of the conception is an
essential preventive factor especially for neural tube defects (NTDs) and other congenital
anomalies. However, in Ethiopia it is not given attention by policy makers, poorly administered
at the right time by healthcare professionals, less utilized by pregnant women and/or women
planning conceive. As a result, FA deficiency and insufficiency are a major public health issue in
Ethiopia.