Officials of the Ayawaso West Assembly in the Greater Accra
Region on Tuesday joined staff and pupils of the Bethany Methodist Basic School
at Dzorwulu in the municipality to commemorate this year’s World Menstrual
Hygiene Day.
The officials distributed sanitary pads, panty liners, and
other goodies and also used the occasion to educate the pupils on maintaining
strict personal hygiene during that period.
The Assembly Member for Dzorwulu electoral area, Madam
Rebecca Serwaa Agei, asked parents to provide their girls with sanitary pads to
prevent them from using unhygienic materials during menstruation.
She also appealed to the school authorities to continually
sensitise the pupils on menstrual hygiene, to ensure that they observe that
period without any setback to their education.
Madam Agei who represented the Municipal Chief Executive,
Madam Sandra Owusu-Ahenkorah, charged the pupils to properly dispose their used
pads since it was not healthy to leave it in the open for everyone to see.
A Senior Research Scientist at the Biotechnology and Nuclear
Agriculture Research Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, (GAEC),
Dr Mavis Owureku-Asare, who was one of the resource persons, urged the pupils
to closely shave the pubic area before they menstruate.
This, she explained, would prevent unhealthy blood from
getting trapped in the pubic hair to generate any unpleasant odour and
infections.
Dr Owureku-Asare urged the pupils to avoid too much sugar
substances during that period and rather eat fresh fruits and vegetables, tiger
berries and food items rich in protein, iron and minerals to ensure balanced
nutritional body.
An Assistant Director at the Assembly, Ms Wendy Sackey, urged
the pupils not to be scared when they experience abdominal cramps during that
period since it was normal, but should see a doctor when it becomes more
severe.
According to her, menstruation has serious health implication
in adolescent girls and charged them to take good care of themselves and also
ensure that they place the pads properly in their pants to avoid any unpleasant
situation.
The headmistress, Mrs Doris Mpere-Gyekye charged the pupils
to see that period as a private matter and not expose themselves for everyone
to see.
She urged them to properly dispose the used pads by wrapping it in polythene before discarding it into the dustbin.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
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