State of the ‘Nanays’

Anticipating the State of the Nation Address next Monday is another SONA, the “State of the Nanay Address” taking place this afternoon at the University of the Philippines Bahay ng Alumni.

This alternative SONA is born of civil society’s “frustration over the deliberate sidetracking of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill in Congress,” said Elizabeth Angsioco, secretary general of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN), composed of various organizations involved in reproductive health and women’s rights. “We are clueless as to whether the President will acknowledge the importance of the bill’s passage in her official SONA,” added Angsioco, and the “State of the Nanay Address,” she said, is the group’s way of pointing out that the reproductive health of mothers, children, women and men is as important as her other priorities.

Since it’s doubtful if the President will even deign to mention reproductive health in her SONA (she is said to be “allergic” to the term which is commonly used in the United Nations and by the rest of the world), the alternative SONA could also be a way of informing the Filipino public just how mothers have been faring under the Arroyo administration.

It has often been mentioned in this space that an average of 11 Filipino women die every day in this country due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. If the kidnap and rape of the young daughter of a narcotics agent can so enrage the President as to make her reconsider her long-standing policy against carrying out the death penalty, shouldn’t the daily, preventable deaths of 11 women move her in equal measure? After all, she is a woman, a mother, and a grandmother. Maternal deaths are very much a part of reproductive health.

Read more...
Source: Rina Jimenez David. At Large. Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 22, 2009

Early marriage: a different perspective for teenage pregnancy

The prevalence of early marriage in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in the Philippines is diffi cult to monitor considering that there is insuffi ciency of data due to low rate of registration of births and marriages.

One recent research by Nisa Ul Haqq Fi Bangsamoro (NISA) and Al-Mujadillah Development Foundation (AMDF), which was conducted in Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Shariff Kabunsuan, has found out that the youngest bridal age is nine. Out of 598 respondents, 17 percent aged from nine to fourteen and 83 percent were at the range of fi fteen to seventeen upon marriage.

At present, close to 40 percent of the respondents are raising one to three children, 27.9 percent with four to six, 19.2 percent attend to more than seven children, while 13.7 percent do not have children yet. This illustrates that the younger a girl marries, the more she will likely to bear many children.

The study identifi ed six determinants on why early marriage is happening in the region. These are:

• religious beliefs
• cultural practices
• economic conditions
• personal circumstances
• forced/arranged marriage,
• and political reasons.

Many consider early marriage as a protection against Zina (extramarital and premarital sex) and is perceived to be an effective way in following the Sunnah (the way and the manners of Prophet Mohammad). This is also to preserve the chastity of women to protect the family’s honor. In addition, there is also a widespread perception that women are weak and in need of protection. Forty-one percent of the respondents have revealed that they were motivated by the idea that the husband
would be a good provider and 30.10 percent confessed that a dowry was seen as an economic opportunity. More than half of the girl-brides who admitted having romantic
relationships with their would-be husbands said that peer influence and the need to escape from parental control have been factors in the decision to marry early.

Majority of the respondents (86.2 percent) said that their marriages were arranged while 34 respondents confided that they were abducted. A small percentage cited political reasons and these are: to forge political alliances and settle family disputes.

The prevalence of early marriage in ARMM can be a major possible reason why this region has one of the highest maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the Philippines.

Article by Amanah Lao. The article is published in Health Alert Asia Pacific newsletter (Issue 15) by HAIN. For copies of the newsletter, please write to hain@hain.org

Searching JSTOR through HAIN

Health Action Information Network is currently subscribing to JSTOR, an online digital archive of academic journals, scholarly works and other materials needed for research and teaching. Mainly covering Arts and Sciences, the collection includes core journals in economics, history, political science, and sociology, as well as in other key fields in the humanities and social sciences. This collection also contains titles in ecology, mathematics, and statistics. Overall, there are 119 titles in twenty-one disciplines. Example of titles include-

· Annual Review of Sociology
· Anthropological Review
· Anthropology Today
· Applied Statistics
· Current Anthropology
· Demography
· Family Planning Perspectives
· International Family Planning Digest
· International Family Planning Perspectives
· International Family Planning Perspectives and Digest
· Journal of Health and Human Behavior
· Journal of Health and Social Behavior
· Journal of the History of Ideas
· Man
· Population and Development Review
· Population Index
· Population Literature
· Population Studies
· Population: An English Selection
· Studies in Family Planning
· World Politics

How to Access JSTOR Collection
The collection is available to development partners of HAIN by sending an email request on specific topics or journal articles that you wish to search. Our staff will conduct the research and will deliver the materials to you online at no cost. Charges will apply to those who are requesting for printing and mailing.

For more information, please contact Emie or Tere at 952-6409 or 952-6312
Or email us at emie.devera@hain.org, noemi.leis@hain.org, tere.godito@hain.org

Influenza A (H1N1) Brief Situation Report for Partners in the Philippines

(Click on image to enlarge)

WHO Philippines
Influenza A (H1N1) Brief Situation Report for Partners in the Philippines
Number 28, 25 May 2009

Updates as of 10 AM, 24 May 2009 (figures may change due to the rapidly evolving situation)

• Department of Health announces the country’s second confirmed case in a 50-year old female with history of travel to the US
• People are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness (fever, cough, runny nose, body aches)
• Individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travelers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care.
• The practice of good health habits including adequate sleep, eating nutritious food, and keeping physically active are some of the general preventive measures for influenza.
• The Lancet announced the launching of its H1N1 Flu Resource Center at www.TheLancet.com/H1N1-flu , a microsite for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and health care professionals.
  

WHO Actions
Published Clinical Management of Human Infection with new influenza A (H1N1) virus; initial guidance: http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/clinical_managmentH1N1_21_May2009.pdf
The WHO library has shared more scientific information on Influenza A(H1N1) with this link: http://atoz.ebsco.com/CustomTab.asp?id=10243
The document "WHO technical advice for case management of Influenza A(H1N1) in air transport" has been posted on web site (http://www.who.int/ihr/ports_airports/en/index.html).
Instructions for storage and transport of suspected or confirmed influenza A (H1N1)
human and animal specimens and virus isolates
http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/storage_transport/en/index.html
The latest WHO recommendations and situation updates can be found at http://www.who.int/ and at http://www.wpro.who.int/philippines

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