Accra, June 01, GNA – Fifty public schools in the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly(LEKMA) have been targeted for the Nkosuo Initiative Foundation’s Menstrual Health and Hygiene Campaign.
In all, over 30,000 pupils will benefit from the sensitisation activities and menstrual management materials.
The Campaign, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) is to advocate for good menstrual hygiene management which is linked to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5 and 10 towards the nurturing of knowledgeable and empowered African youth.
Miss Joyce Yen, Project Lead for the Foundation, announced this at the launch of the Campaign, during the celebration of the Menstrual Hygiene Day at the Field Engineer ‘B’ Basic School on Friday in Accra on the theme: “More Action and Investment in Menstrual Health and Hygiene Now.”
The Day is celebrated globally, every year on May 28 to highlight the importance of menstrual health management.
She said the youth-led organisation would ensure that every West African and Ghanaian child or youth had an equal chance in life; that no one was disadvantaged because of their geographical, social, or economic location.
She said all activities of the Foundation, including the Menstrual Hygiene Campaign, were to reduce inequalities, create opportunities and inspire as well as empower the youth through mentor-mentee connections.
Miss Yen said the Menstrual Hygiene Campaign project team would consist of health professionals and civil society professionals, among others.
She said the girls in those schools would receive free menstrual materials as part of the campaign and training on how to make reusable pads.
According to Miss Yen, the difficulty of the average menstruating school girl to access menstrual hygiene materials such as pads, cloths, tampons or cups, soaps, underwear and pain relief items sustainably to support them during their periods, could not be overstated.
She said the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programmes of government and efforts of the Ministry Of Education had led to some laudable improvements in the availability of menstrual facilities such as toilets and water infrastructure in schools but more was needed for effective Menstrual Hygiene Management.
Mr Richard Gyima, Municipal Community Liaison Officer, GES, LEKMA, while delivering a speech on behalf of the Municipal Director of Education, LEKMA at the launch, called for more investment in menstrual health and hygiene.
He said issues about health were paramount because they impacted meaningfully on the ability to learn and keep girls in school.
‘‘As a country, we need to be concerned about the plight of the girl-child and be moved to take appropriate actions to help them realise their dreams and potentials. We must all make a conscious effort to provide the needed support and assistance to promote the menstrual health and hygiene in our schools and educational institutions,’’ he said.
He said the lack of resources and poverty had affected the ability of people to manage their menstruation and health and reiterated the need for constant investment and interventions for girls, in particular.
The LEKMA GES boss commended the Nkosuo Initiative Foundation for supporting girls and urged it to expand its reach.
‘‘I entreat all School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinators to lead the charge in sensitising our girls on issues bothering on safe and hygienic menstrual practices. I also encourage all School Improvement Support Officers (SISOs) and Headteachers to give officials of Nkosuo Initiative Foundation the needed support and cooperation as they embark on this campaign,’’ he said.
Madam Anthonia Opon Tutu, a Principal Nursing Officer, in charge of Surgeries at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, said menstruation was a natural occurrence that every female had to experience hence no need for them to feel bad or shy about it.
“We were created to procreate in the world, without it we cannot reproduce,” she said.
Speaking to the pupils on menstruation and the use of the menstrual pad, Madam Tutu urged them to keep menstrual calendars and avoid the intake of sugary substances before and during menstruation.
She also advised them to avoid heavy food, three days to menstruation, and be active to reduce the cramps associated with menstruation.
She advised them against burning used pads to prevent pollution of the air and environment and that they should wrap used pads properly in a polythene bag and disposed of well in a dust bin.
Madam Tutu encouraged the pupils to confide in their parents or guardians about menstruation at home and approach their teachers when they menstruated in school to be guided and educated well.
GNA