By Michael Foli Jackidy
Hohoe (V/R), June 18, GNA – The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), in collaboration with the Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute (RGHI), USA, has held a dissemination forum on menstrual hygiene and adolescent mental health at the Fred N. Binka School of Public Health (FNBSPH) Campus in Hohoe.
The forum, held on the theme: “Breaking the Silence: Menstrual Hygiene Management and Adolescent Mental Health in Ghana,” brought together researchers, policymakers, health professionals, development partners, students and civil society organisations to discuss findings from a three-year research project and chart a path towards improving menstrual health outcomes for adolescent girls.
Professor Smile Gavua Dzisi, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in charge of Management Services, who delivered the keynote address, said menstruation remained unnecessarily shrouded in secrecy and stigma despite being a natural biological process.
“For far too long in our country, menstruation has been wrapped in silence. The blood is not the problem and the biology is not the problem; the silence and the shame that grow in that silence are what are harming the minds and futures of our daughters,” she said.
Prof Dzisi noted that menstrual health was not only about access to sanitary pads, water and toilets, but also about dignity, confidence and mental wellbeing.
She said many girls missed school because they lacked access to menstrual products, private sanitation facilities or feared ridicule from their peers.
She said when a girl misses school because she is menstruating, she does not only lose a few days of lessons. She falls behind, loses confidence and gradually begins to let go of her ambitions.
She called for a collective effort to build schools where menstrual hygiene was treated as a normal part of life and where girls could manage their periods with dignity.
Prof Dzisi also highlighted the role of the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) and the government’s Free Sanitary Pads initiative in improving school attendance and restoring confidence among adolescent girls.
She further called on boys and men to become allies in promoting menstrual health and ending stigma.
Prof Dzisi also used the occasion to commend Dr Sitsofe Gbogbo, Principal Investigator of the project for leading groundbreaking research in an area that had long been neglected and praised the UHAS leadership for supporting the initiative.
Mr Prosper Kumi, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Hohoe, said menstruation should never become a barrier to achieving the dreams and aspirations of adolescent girls.
“Behind every statistic is a young girl with dreams of becoming a doctor, teacher, engineer, businesswoman or leader. We must ensure menstruation never prevents them from achieving those dreams,” he said.
He said inadequate access to sanitary products, poor sanitation facilities, misinformation and stigma continue to undermine the confidence of girls’ and participation in school and community activities.
Mr Kumi commended UHAS, RGHI and other stakeholders for supporting adolescent girls and urged institutions, parents, teachers, traditional and religious leaders to help break the silence surrounding menstruation.
“Creating a period-friendly world is not simply about providing sanitary pads. It is about protecting dignity, promoting equality, safeguarding mental health and ensuring every girl has the opportunity to succeed,” he said.
Professor Frank Baiden, Dean of the Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, described the event as a major milestone for the university and the school.
He said menstrual hygiene had only recently gained global research attention after years of neglect due to societal taboos.
“About 10 years ago, menstrual hygiene was not among the major research topics because there was silence surrounding the issue. Thankfully, UHAS has supported efforts to bring it to the forefront through this important implementation research,” he said.
He commended Dr Gbogbo and her research team for their dedication over the past three and a half years and thanked the Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute for funding the project.
Presenting the key findings of the research, Dr Sitsofe Gbogbo, Principal Investigator of the project, said menstrual health must no longer be viewed solely as a sanitation and hygiene issue but as a critical component of adolescent mental health and development.
She said girls who were unable to manage menstruation safely, privately and with dignity were more likely to experience depression, anxiety, stress, shame and social isolation.
“Creating supportive menstrual health environments is essential for improving both educational and mental health outcomes for adolescent girls across the country,” she said.
Dr Gbogbo said unmet menstrual health needs, including inadequate sanitary materials, lack of privacy and poor disposal systems, were directly linked to poor mental health outcomes among school-aged girls.
She stressed that investing in menstrual health was also an investment in education, gender equality and adolescent development.
“When girls are able to manage their periods with dignity, the risks of depression and anxiety decrease, allowing them to remain in school and achieve their full potential,” she said.
The forum also featured the launch of a Book of Abstracts and attracted experts from academia, non-governmental organisations working in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), university authorities, students and representatives from selected second-cycle institutions.
Participants called for increased investment, stronger partnerships and sustained public education to ensure that no girl in Ghana was held back by menstruation.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah