Safe Motherhood Week – Let’s Protect Our Favourite Females
Ermat. Mother. Mum. One thing that everyone in the world has in common is that they have a mother. They give birth, care for, and love us for our whole lives. There are almost 4 billion women in the world right now as you read this, making up approximately half of the global population.
43 million of these women are mothers.
In the Philippines, there are around 55 million women, but sadly, a high proportion of these women have limited access to basic health care and medical facilities.
Each year, the 2nd week in May is Safe Motherhood Week, which is dedicated to raising awareness about a woman’s health and nutritional needs during pregnancy. It is the vision of the Filipino government for Filipino women to have full access to the vital health services that can make their pregnancy and delivery safer.
The World Health Organisation reports that around 7 women die every day from pregnancy-related complications. Geographical limitations, caused by many families living in remote mountain or coastal regions which prevent them from physically accessing the maternal and post-partum health care required, and large differences in income levels, mean that the Philippines sadly has a higher Maternal Mortality Rate than many neighbouring countries. With limited access to health care, more than two-thirds of deaths occur during the post-partum period.
So what exactly is safe motherhood? It is said that there are four key pillars to safe motherhood:
- Access to effective family planning – ensuring that couples and individuals have the information needed to plan and space out their pregnancies
- Antenatal care – ensuring that pregnancy related complications are detected and resolved as soon as possible
- A clean and safe delivery – with trained birth assistants and access to clean facilities and equipment
- Essential obstetric care – available to all who need it.
Pregnancy is often a worrisome and uncertain time for many expectant mothers. First time mothers often do not know what to expect from labour, delivery, and the post-partum period, and non-first time mothers may have had a traumatic experience with previous pregnancies, deliveries, and post-partum.
EasyDNA Philippines is dedicated to providing expectant mothers with peace of mind surrounding their impending arrival, and has a suite of DNA tests that can give an insight as to the chance of their newborn developing a condition or disease.
One of our most popular tests is the Prenatal Peace test. The Prenatal Peace genetic screening test is non-invasive, requiring no amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. A standard blood draw is all that is required to undertake the DNA test, which screens for 18 genetic conditions. It should be mentioned that this does not replace a diagnostic test, but if you are in any way concerned that your unborn baby might have a genetic condition, then a screening test can provide much needed peace of mind.
Another popular test is the Newborn Genetic Test with NOVA. Nova is a newborn screening test that determines a baby’s risk for 50 inherited disorders, as well as providing personalised genetic information on the metabolism of 20 drugs. This test offers the most comprehensive and accurate newborn screening test, with over 99.99% accuracy.
EasyDNA Philippines is committed to providing the best pre and postnatal care to Filipino mothers, and coupled with the Safe Motherhood Week initiative, women can take comfort in the fact that there are many avenues out there that will help to ensure a safe, healthy and successful pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.

The last 12 months have been like nothing we’ve ever experienced, with the COVID-19 pandemic posing many challenges and opportunities for women all over the Philippines. This year, National Women’s Month has a strong focus on how women have thrived during these unknown times. Understandably, many of the events surrounding National Women’s Month are being held online this year, with a number of forums and interactive seminars to be held via the
Down Syndrome is the most common of the 6000 genetic disorders found worldwide, and it is probably the most recognized. Named after Dr. John Langdon Down, the first physician to identify the condition in 1862, Down Syndrome occurs when an extra chromosome 21 is present in the DNA structure and can occur in people from all races, cultures, and social backgrounds.
Given the current health climate around the world, it’s only natural to feel increasingly worried about your susceptibility to various illnesses and conditions. From this, many Filipinos want to educate themselves about what diseases they may be genetically more predisposed to, and what measures they can take to help prevent these sometimes deadly diseases.
Knowing your level of genetic predisposition toward developing any of the above conditions can help both you live a longer, healthier life. If you have a family history of a particular disease, the Genetic Predisposition DNA Health test will tell you if you have inherited the same tendencies, and enable you to take the necessary steps to prevent its onset.
In November the Philippines is celebrating National Children’s Month, and this year, the theme is ‘Together promoting the rights of every child during the pandemic period!’
The NOVA test screens for disorders that are in a prevalence rate of occurring in 1 in every 400 births. Doing a test at the newborn stage can mean an early diagnosis, early intervention, and prompt treatment, all of which are vital in helping you provide the best life possible for your child. The test consists of a simple blood test, which is performed by a pathologist. After analysis in our state of the art laboratories, your results will be returned to you in a timely manner.
So what exactly is breast cancer, and how can we detect and help to prevent it? Breast cancer occurs when the cells within the breast begin to grow abnormally, and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body, generally via the lymph nodes.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Between 50 and 60% of all dementia cases can be attributed to Alzheimer’s. It is predicted more than 1.5 million people in the Philippines will have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease within the next 30 years, and worldwide, an estimated 46 million people live with dementia. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown, however, scientists believe that it is triggered as a result of a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s increases with age, but there are other factors that can contribute to the onset of this disease.
In the Philippines, Alzheimer’s disease Awareness Week is in the 3rd week in September and aims to highlight the issues that need to be addressed in regards to this disease.
You definitely used them when you were running into work 10 minutes late, and they were mighty handy on that bushwalk last weekend.
So, it’s obvious that the lungs are one of our most vital organs, and without them, our breath would be literally taken away! From this, it is important that we do everything we can to look after our lungs. In 2018, lung disease claimed the lives of more than 25,000 Filipinos, making it the 4th highest cause of death per capita.
Some people have an existing predisposition to many conditions, and lung disease is no exception. Easy DNA Philippines is on board with National Lung Month, and suggests the