The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is designed to provide data useful for monitoring the population and health situation in the country. Conducted every 5 years by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the NDHS aims to provide up-to-date information on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health. The survey also provides useful inputs to policy formulation and monitoring activities, researches and programs on health.

Teenage pregnancy and motherhood

• Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had the least percentage of women 15 to 19 years old who have begun childbearing (3.5 percent). Meanwhile, Davao region had the highest percentage of women ages 15 to 19 years old who have begun childbearing (17.9 percent).
• Overall, about nine percent of women ages 15 to 19 years old have begun childbearing in the country.

• Delivery assistance is a very important component of child birth management. To ensure the health and wellness of the mother and the child during delivery, only skilled health professionals can identify early signs or symptoms of any complications and can readily address the problem through emergency procedures.
• The trend of the survey results showed an increase in births attended by health professionals. Live births attended by health professionals increased by 7.8 percentage points from 2003 to 2008, and 18.0 percentage points from 2008 to 2013.
• In 2017, almost 92 percent of live births in the 5 years preceding the survey were attended by health professionals.

Figure 1. Percentage of Live-Births (in the 5 years preceding the survey)
Delivered by Skilled Providers, CAR: 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2017

• In order to reduce health risks of both the mother and child during delivery, it is important that babies are delivered in a safe and clean environment under the supervision of health professionals.
• The proportion of live births delivered in a health facility increased by almost 41 percentage points from 2003 to 2017.
• Across survey years, a significant increase in the percentage of live births delivered in a health facility was observed from 2008 to 2013. There was a difference of 23.9 percentage points from the 2008 survey results.
• Latest survey results (2017) showed only an increase of 10.5 percentage points from that of the 2013 to 2017 results.

Figure 2. Percentage of Live-Births (in the 5 years preceding the survey)
Delivered in Health Facilities, CAR: 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2017

• Antenatal care (ANC) from a skilled provider is important to monitor pregnancy and reduce morbidity and mortality risks for the mother and child during pregnancy, at delivery, and during the postnatal period (42 days after delivery).
• From 2003 to 2013, the percentage of women who have received ANC increased from 86.0 percent to 98.1 percent.
• In 2017, 95.4 percent of the women with a live birth in the five years preceding the survey received ANC. There was a decrease of 2.7 percentage points from 2013 to 2017.

Figure 3. Percentage of Women 15 to 49 Years Old
(who had a live birth in the 5 years preceding the survey) Receiving Antenatal
Care from Skilled Providers, CAR: 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2017

   Tetanus toxoid

• Tetanus toxoid injections are given during pregnancy to prevent neonatal tetanus, a major cause of early infant death in many developing countries, often due to failure to observe hygienic procedures during delivery.
• In 2017, the percentage of women 15 to 49 years old whose recent live birth was protected against neonatal tetanus was at 80.3 percent.
• From 2008 to 2013, there was an increase of 22.9 percentage points of women whose recent child (birth in the 5 years preceding the survey) was injected by tetanus toxoid.
• From 2013 to 2017 on the other hand, the percentage of women whose recent child (birth in the 5 years preceding the survey) were injected with tetanus toxoid decreased by 6.9 percentage points.

Figure 4. Percentage of Women 15 to 49 Years Old
(who had a live birth in the 5 years preceding the survey)
whose Recent Live Birth was Protected Against Neonatal Tetanus,
CAR: 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2017

TECHNICAL NOTES