AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in collaboration with Keffi local government, Nasarawa State has trained secondary school students on menstrual health management. This is aimed at putting an end to shame and stigma on menstruation.
The event organised yesterday by AHF also instituted a sanitary pad bank in Keffi Primary Healthcare Agency and Keffi Ministry of Women Affairs, to ensure availability of sanitary pads for girls.
Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) is celebrated annually on May 28, with the 2023 global theme: “End The Stigma on Periods.”
The annual MH Day is to highlight the importance of menstrual care, and raise awareness about issues faced by women and girls who do not have access to clean water and sanitary products.
At the event, medical director AHF Nigeria, Dr Emma Nwabueze said the Foundation was creating awareness, to end stigma around menstruation while ensuring young women and girls have access to menstrual pads.
He said the process of menstruation had caused many girls to stay out of school due to financial inability to purchase pads, misconception and myths around menstruation, hence the need to create awareness.
“We used this opportunity to come to Keffi to educate the women, girl child, male child and everybody on issues surrounding menstrual stigma.
“Some of our girls miss school because they are in their menstrual period, some do not go to school because their parents do not have money to buy the products.
“Some of our girls cannot open up and tell their parents about what is happening to their body, that is why we are here to advocate and tell people that menstruation is clean not dirty,” he said.
Nwabueze affirmed that the sanitary pad bank by AHF in collaboration with its partners was to ensure continuous availability of pads in facilities for girls in school and out of school during emergency situations.
The executive chairman, Keffi LGA, Mr Muhammed Baba-Shehu represented by the secretary Keffi LGA, Mr Muhammed Adamu, applauded the Foundation for choosing Keffi LGA as one of its beneficiaries for the programme.
Also, supervisory counsellor women affairs in Keffi local government area, Mrs Aisha Basha, said the ministry was saddled with the responsibility of educating young women and girls on menstrual health and management.
Basha said the sensitisation was aimed at breaking the silence on stigma and shame as it affects menstruation.
Miss Gift Ibe, a participant and student of ECWA Government Junior Secondary School Keffi, expressed appreciation to the organisations for the enlightenment programme.
