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Menstrual Health Day commemorated

Menstrual Health Day commemorated

The fourth official annual commemoration and celebration of Menstrual Health and Hygiene Day (MHHD) took place on 28 May in Rehoboth at the Origo Primary School.

Different stakeholders came together with school learners to focus on the need to address the issues surrounding menstrual health, while at the same time make Namibia understand that menstrual health and hygiene Management is a human rights issue.

Hardap Regional Education Director, Gerhard Ndafenongo said that it is important to engage in advocacy with political leaders and donor agencies to support projects like this because women do not choose whether to have their periods or not.

“When we do not support them during this time and provide them with the means with which to take care of themselves, we are violating their basic human rights, because menstruation is healthy and natural biological process, without which life on earth ceases to exist,” he added.

The day also saw the launch of the integrated School Health Programme (ISHP), which will implement the Health Promoting Schools Initiative. Which will focus on promoting conducive teaching and learning and healthy lifestyles among the learners.

The ISHP led to the stakeholders establishing an Integrated School Health Task Force at a national level, where the stakeholders will together work on planing, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, research resource mobilization and advocacy of the ISHP.

Plus the Namibian Coalition for Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management was also launched during the event and it provides a platform for coordination and knowledge-sharing for the work being done by various stakeholders working in MHHM.

This is deemed essential in Namibia as research has shown, 18% of learners are missing between fur and five days of school per month due to menstruation issues and challenges,

The rest of the Day was celebrated by the pupils through the medium of songs, dance and games which were facilitated by Sport for Development in Africa.


 

About The Author

Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.