Group Creates Awareness on Menstrual Hygiene

Ayodeji Ake 

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), Clina-Lancet Laboratories has taken a menstrual hygiene campaign to school to prevent the girl-child from infections and other health-related issues. 

Speaking recently at the distribution of free sanitary pads to female students of Queens College, Lagos, tagged: ‘Pad Up A Girl’, the Managing Director of Clina-Lancet, Dr. Olayemi Dawodu, expressed concern on the need to teach the girl-child menstrual hygiene to stay healthy during menstrual flow. 

She said: “As part of our CSR as an organisation, we are interested in the good health and well-being of all the communities we serve and even beyond. One of the campaigns we have embarked on for the past two years is the Pad Up a Girl campaign which is to support the health and well-being of the girl-child specifically but focusing on menstrual hygiene which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has earmarked to be as an important aspect of the well-being of females. 

“Every May 28 has been earmarked for this day, and part of our giving back this year is to commemorate this day by giving health talks, advocacy, and bringing them up in maintaining menstrual hygiene and in also providing products that help them maintain their mental hygiene. 

“This is also to encourage gender equality because in schools in terms of what is provided in the toilet for the girls to be able to be comfortable during their menstruation, to change their pads: good water supply, provision of soaps, and others. It is critically important in maintaining menstrual hygiene, so the girls need support.’’ 

She also encouraged institutions to support adequate provisions for the girl-child in toilets to maintain menstrual hygiene. 

During her speech, the Wellness/Operational Manager, of Clina-Lancet Laboratories, Dr. Amaka Wigwe, admonished the students to maintain hygienic standards during their menstruation period and taught steps to take on how to be free from infections. 

Wigwe said: ‘’Some hygienic methods during your menstrual period are changing your sanitary pads two to three times a day (four to six hours), disposing of sanitary pads properly, having your bath before changing your pad, keeping an extra pad in case of overflow, washing your hands before and after changing your pad, wear pants that are made of cotton, use good deodorant. The reason is you don’t want heat or moisture living there which can bring in infections. You are also not to use scented products due to their acid base concentration which can lead to infection.”