BY JOACKIM KULE
Hon. Godfrey Baluku Kabbyanga, the State Minister for ICT and National Guidance has implored the public health workers to sensitize the girl children about the best menstrual management practices.
The junior Minister sounded the remarks today morning while officiating at the International Women’s Day celebrations for Mpondwe – Lhubiriha Town Council at Mpondwe Primary School in Kasese district.
The day was organized by the Town Council in partnership with Solid Links Initiative for Development and Smile Always Foundation, under the theme, “Men for Menstrual Equity,” and was aimed at soliciting some funds to procure reusable sanitary pads to be distributed to some girls in schools within the urban centre.
Kabbyanga explained that sensitizing the girl children would help to eliminate some health risks that might accrue out of the poor practices that the innocent children use to manage their menstrual periods.
Hon. Kabbyanga also noted that the lack of knowledge on the best practices to be used forces girl children to drop out of school since they become stigmatized.
He observed need for the Civil Society Organizations to empower the girls with skills on how to personally make reusable sanitary pads so as to reduce the costs of buying disposable ones.
Mr. Moses Mugisa, the Town Clerk for Mpondwe –Lhubiriha Town Council, acknowledged that the area is overwhelmed by a high number of school dropouts mostly the girl children due to lack of sanitary pads, a reason why Council decided to roll out the exercise of distributing pads to the learners so that they keep in schools.
Ms. Norah Matsande, who was among the key speakers at the function, advised the administrators of schools to always separate washrooms of the boys from those of the girls so that they are enabled to organize themselves while in their menstrual periods.
Ms. Sophie Asingya, a student nurse at Bwera School of Health Sciences and Midwifery asked the girl children to take menstrual periods as something that is normal in their nature as females.
She, however, advised them to always use clean materials while cleaning their bodies during their menstrual periods.
ENDS