World Osteoporosis Day speaks up on deadly silent disease

MANILA, Philippines - Osteoporosis, a silent disease that has claimed numerous lives around the world, is creeping across the country like a thief in the night.

Such was the powerful message of the recent nationwide celebration of World Osteoporosis Day that saw close to 4,000 Filipino women from all over the country joining hands to raise awareness on the fatal silent disease. Simultaneous events under the umbrella theme “Kumilos ka, Sis” were held in Quezon City, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Baguio, and Bacolod to highlight the cause of osteoporosis and how it greatly affects the quality of life.

Anlene, the brand that has been leading the campaign against osteoporosis, conducted a nationwide bone health check caravan to scan about 4,000 Filipinos to educate people about bone health and assess if they’re at risk of osteoporosis.

“Osteoporosis is a disease we should all take seriously,” states Louise Yu, Anlene Philippines senior brand manager. “It’s a disease that can put an end to the activities we love to do. Worse, it can put an end to one’s life. The Philippines is one in observing World Osteoporosis Day so that we can elevate the awareness level of Filipinos on this deadly disease and prevent the onset of osteoporosis.”

Fitness instructors led weight-bearing exercises that are vital in preventing osteoporosis while doctors gave bone health lectures to explain the nature of the disease. An Anlene Bone Health Discovery Tunnel was also mounted to interactively inform consumers about bones and the repercussions of osteoporosis. 

Highlight of the day was the free bone scanning at the Anlene Bone Health Check stations. “Bone scanning is a routine check-up that most Filipinos don’t have access to. Without proper bone scanning, it will be difficult for them to estimate if they have osteoporosis,” says Angela Pablo, Fonterra senior nutritionist. “And if they already have osteoporosis, bone scanning can help the address their conditions accordingly.”

The Anlene Bone Health Check is the heart of Anlene’s osteoporosis advocacy. The service, which approximately costs P4,000 in a hospital, is given free to the public with no purchase requirement. After patients get a one-minute ultrasound bone scan, they can consult with a nutritionist who then initially assesses their bone health.

Dream team: The Anlene team, led by senior brand manager Louise Chavez-Yu and Fonterra’s marketing director Harvey Ong, at the Anlene Bone Health Discovery Tunnel

The Anlene Bone Health Check is one of the largest health activation programs in the world. It’s designed to massively educate people about bone health, providing a quick ultrasound bone scan to people across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. It’s run in partnership with GE Healthcare, the world leader in medical imaging technology.

For the past 11 years, Anlene, the only milk in the world that is clinically proven to reduce bone breakdown within four weeks, has been actively leading the campaign against osteoporosis. The Anlene Bone Health Check has been going around the Philippines as a medical caravan that provides free bone scanning and assessment. The mission has scanned over a million patients and Anlene has allocated P150 million to bring the mission to more provinces.