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By Godfred A. Polkuu
Gbeogo (U/E), Aug. 02, GNA-The Aide á la vulnèrabillitè, a health and charity-based group in Bolgatanga has appealed to government to supply free sanitary pads to special schools across the country to promote good menstrual hygiene.
Mr Charles Lwanga Moandiyiem Tabase, the Chairman of the group, said some parents abandoned their children with hearing, speech and sight impairments in special schools, and did not care for them, owing to some myths surrounding the conditions.
He said some female students of menstrual age in special boarding schools had resorted to the use of unhygienic materials during their menses, which was dangerous to their health, and stressed the need for government to supply sanitary pads to them.
Mr Tabase made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after he led members of the group to present 10 boxes of sanitary pads to the Gbeogo School for the Deaf in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.
The gesture, estimated at a cost of GHȻ3000.00, was to support improve menstrual hygiene among the female students of the school, and reduce possible vaginal infections associated with the use of unhygienic materials.
Mr Tabase also appealed to government to take off taxes on sanitary pads, saying “Menstruation is natural, no one buys it, and so if government imposes tax on sanitary pads, I think that is unfair.
“If government could take that off, and even provide sanitary pads to special schools, it would help,” the group Chairman said.
On the group’s gesture to the school, Mr Tabase said leadership conducted health needs assessment in the school, and based on that, they decided to supply sanitary pads to female students of menstrual age on quarterly basis.
“After a needs assessment, we realised the problem of menstrual hygiene, and so towards the end of 2022, we started a quarterly project to provide female students of menstrual age with sanitary pads for at least a quarter,” he said.
He said the gesture was not the first of its kind to the school, noting that members of the group, made of various categories of health professionals, had over the years undertaken medical screening exercises for the students, extended electricity to the boys dormitory block among others as part of the identified needs of the students.
Apart from the donation, members of the group offered health education to the students through their teachers on basic health conditions, including vaginal candidiasis and the recent outbreak of anthrax disease in the Region.
Mr John Bosco Temekuu, the Vice Chair of the group, told the GNA that the Navrongo Central Prison, the Sherigu Babies Home, and the Timataaba Orphanage Home had over the years benefitted from health screening exercises and donations from the group.
He said the group’s philanthropic activities over the years was through contributions from members and friends and it was their vision to extend services to the vulnerable beyond Ghana, and called on other organisations to support them to reach out to vulnerable groups.
Ms Munira Awudu, the school’s Assistant Senior House Mistress who received the sanitary pads on behalf of the students, expressed gratitude to members and leadership of the group.
She described their support as “on point” noting that most of the students were from less privileged homes and could not afford sanitary pads.
“Sanitary pad is very expensive, and some parents prepare students for school with one sanitary pad which cannot be used for the whole term. So we are very grateful for the support,” she said.
GNA
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