Awareness drive on menstrual health launched

In a bid to address the high prevalence of Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) challenges amongst adolescent girls of Pakistan and for raising mass awareness in the regard, 'No Chutti Plus' campaign launched on Tuesday.

Sindh Minister for Women Development Syeda Shehla Raza, inaugurated the campaign that also aimed at countering the social taboos associated with menstrual health by raising awareness on the subject.

The campaign was launched by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and hygiene products company Santex in collaboration with the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department. Senior officials of the provincial government, Chief Field Officer UNICEF (Sindh), Vanessa Lee and Director Operations, Santex Products, Feroz Mujtaba Rahman attended the launching ceremony.

Syeda Shela Raza addressing at the occasion stressed on need of educating adolescent girls about MHH and said that stigma and ignorance related to MHH can be a serious health hazard.

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"We need to raise awareness about safe menstrual health practices and make hygiene products accessible to adolescent girls," she said adding that menstrual health and hygiene remained a taboo subject and there was a culture of silence surrounding women's reproductive health, including menstruation.

She termed it imperative to talk about it and take action to improve girls' access to the knowledge, tools and facilities they needed to manage menstrual hygiene with dignity and confidence as risks associated with poor hygiene could directly affect reproductive health.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2022.