The Wife of the Delta State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ebierin Otuaro, made the observation while presenting sanitary pads to students during the 10th anniversary of the Integral Motivational Service at Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha south local government area of the state.
Dr. Otuaro, stated that the place of good menstrual hygiene could not be over-emphasized, saying that most girls avoid school for at least three to five day during their menstrual period.
According to her, the period of menstrual flow of the girl-child is usually a difficult time that demand understanding and capacity on what to do per time, and called on girls’ students to put the lecture received into good use and avoid being infected by disease.
The Deputy governor’s wife stressed the need for the girl child to ensure proper hygiene practices during their menstrual cycle, noting that government had developed programmes geared towards hygiene by providing potable water in government School, across the state.
Dr. Otuaro, emphasized that the construction of toilet by government in schools was to convincingly assist girls in changing their pads, and advised them to always wash their hands after every visit to the toilet, as well as keep to the COVID 19 protocol, inline with World Health Organization’s directive.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Mrs. Flora Alanta, represented by a deputy director in the ministry, Mrs Jane Adebayo commended the organizers of the programme and advised the students to always be neat.
The Coordinator of the programme “Youth Alive” Mr. Ebenezer Ohamua, who spoke on gender equality, advised female students to be literate in menstrual hygiene with a view to change the country’s narrative.
He promised that his NGO would distribute sanitary pads to school within the 25 local government area of the state
A motivational speaker, Miss Marvellous Kelechukwu, who is also a health educator spoke on the topic title “Menstrual Hygiene” and advised on the use of sanitary pad, adding that it could absolve as much as seven times its original size, calling for it to be changed at interval of seven hours.
Mrs. Benedicta Apuamah, a pharmacist, spoke on the reasons why some girls experience painful menstruation, and advised against the reuse of sanitary pad.
The programme, which featured questions and answers session and distribution of sanitary pads, had in attendance students from schools in Ogwashi-Uku, namely Comprehensive Secondary School, Delta Preparatory High School, Adaigbo College, Royal Foundation School and Isho Mixed Secondary School, among others.
