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HEALTH

Women urged to prioritise menstrual hygiene

Madam Henrietta Quabu, the Metro Girl-Child Coordinator for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Directorate, Ghana Education Service (GES), has urged pupils, young girls and women to make menstrual hygiene a priority to improve on their reproductive health.

Date Created : 5/29/2024 : Story Author : Gladys Abakah/Ghanadistricts.com

She made the call at an engagement by the Directorate to mark the 2024 Menstrual Hygiene Day, on the theme: "Together for a Period-Friendly World/Ghana”.

The event was to coordinate the voices and actions of non-profit, government agencies, individuals, the private sector and the media to promote good menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) for all girls and women within the metropolis.

Madam Quabu said it was imperative for girls and women to eat iron-rich foods like eggs, meat, fish, kontomire and bananas to ease the pain and replace lost blood during menstruation.

Menstrual pains could be managed through exercising, drinking lots of water and the use of warm towels to ease it.

She entreated the pupils to either use re-useable old cloth fabrics or sanitary pads and avoid the use of toilet rolls and paper napkins to keep good menstrual hygiene.

Educating them on the proper ways to dispose of sanitary materials, Madam Quabu urged the pupils to wrap sanitary materials before they dispose of it in a bin and avoid dumping them in toilet bowls or pits.

She called on all relevant stakeholders and the media to intensify menstrual hygiene education and make available sanitary materials to improve on menstrual hygiene, especially for girls and women in rural communities.

An interaction with some individuals revealed varied views about menstruation and its related issues.

Ms Sarah Banson, a student teacher, said menstruation had become a stigma in some Ghanaian societies as young girls were perceived to be committing a taboo as they menstruated.

"I wish we could be appreciated for who we are rather than use a natural phenomenon to dehumanize us," she said.

Ms Clara Agyei, a student, lamented about the ordeals she goes through whenever it is the time of the month, adding "women really go through a lot during menstruation and must be given the needed support and attention."

She called on the relevant authorities to make sanitary materials available to the various schools and communities to help ease the pressure on young girls in their quest to maintain good menstrual hygiene.