VYLH, NSCs celebrate Araw ng Buntis 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012Araw ng Buntis, Folic acid Awareness Campaign, Luzon Cluster, Mindanao Cluster, National, Newborn Screening Promotion, Visayas Cluster
Written by Ryan John Pascual, Marian Cuenca, RN , Anna Leah Millares, RN, and Jasper Jover, RN
In celebration of the National Pregnant Women’s Day last
March 10, VYLH-Philippines in partnership with Newborn Screening Center – NIH,
Visayas and Mindanao joined the Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecological Society
(POGS) in their “Araw ng Buntis” activity with the theme “Maabilidad na P-nay,
Malusog na Nanay”. This annual event is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation
569 which was signed in 2004.
VYLH-Philippines was able to participate in three key
locations nationwide – Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City; Robinsons Iloilo, Iloilo
City; and Ateneo de Davao University – Grade School Campus, Matina, Davao City.
Hundreds of pregnant women in these key locations were able to attend the said
event. POGS was kind enough to provide a booth for VYLH-Philippines where
volunteers were able to present and distribute information and promotional materials
on the importance of Folic acid supplementation in the prevention of birth
defects, and Newborn Screening. A signature campaign for the enactment of a
Rare Disease Act was also done during the event.
Baby Making 101: A Personal Touch of Empathy for Babies with Rare Orphan Diseases
Written by Joan Mae Barredo*
Naughty grins underline the faces of the participants upon hearing the activity’s title. Various side comments here and there are evident in the venue for about, say, 30 seconds or so. And then, 30 minutes after, what remains is that emphatic look of compassion in their eyes.
Baby Making 101 as springboard
In connection to the various advocacies of Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health [VYLH] Philippines, especially on Newborn Screening and Rare Orphan Diseases, Baby Making 101 activity is one good avenue for health representatives to level-off the participants. This is to serve as a launch pad for processing the experience-base advocacy dissemination event.
Promoting NBS, Rare Disorders to High School Students
Monday, March 05, 2012Advocacy Strategies, Luzon Cluster, Mindanao Cluster, National, Newborn Screening Promotion, Rare Disease Support, Visayas Cluster
Written by Ryan John Pascual
Pictures from VYLH-Philippines Volunteers
Pictures from VYLH-Philippines Volunteers
In the continued service and passion to the advocacy,
VYLH-Philippines volunteers targeted high school students and teachers as the recipients
of their information, education and communication (IEC) campaign activities on newborn
screening (NBS) and rare disorders during the First Quarter of 2012. Among
these activities were the Genetics Camp of The UPLB Genetics Society and "Schools for Rare" Campaign of VYLH-Philippines.
High school students, being in their formative years, are
viable partners in the advocacy since it is during the secondary level of
education where students start to build their career path and pick the fields
in which they will participate in the future. Imparting the advocacy allows
students to be conscious of the health concerns that they will encounter as
parents and leaders in the future. These students are also highly capable of
disseminating information among their peers, friends and family. Aside from students, engaging secondary school
teachers to advocate our health concerns allows the integration of these
health topics in their future classroom discussions.