Nurses and midwives under the umbrella of Igala Nurses and Midwives Association (INAMA) on Friday, made donation of sanitary pads and drugs to students of Federal Government Girls’ College, Bwari, Abuja.
While presenting the items, President of the association, Mrs Christie Awunor, said the gesture was a medical outreach organised by the nurses as part of activities to commemorate the International Nurses Week.
Mrs Awunor said that the donation was aimed at promoting the health of the girls in the school while encouraging them to always use pads during their periods.
She said about 61 per cent of young girls used clothes, tissue paper, ordinary paper as an alternative to pad during their menstrual period, which she described such practice as unhealthy.
According to her, such practice can expose them to several infections including urinary track infection, virginal infection, staphylococcus, among others.
She attributed the condition to financial constraints of some of the girls as they find it difficult to afford a sanitary pad.
The health expert stressed the need for the girls to adopt hygienic ways of handling their menstrual periods to avoid infections, which if not properly treated when contacted, could damage the fallopian tube and affect reproductive lives.
“Part of our yearly activities is to visit schools to give health talk, promote health and also prevention campaign as well as testing services for HIV, Family Planning, maternal and child health, among others.
“The visit is aimed at educating them on menstrual hygiene and importance of sanitary pad as well as advocate for the school management to prioritise giving the children pad once monthly like they serve them lunch and dinner.
“Also, we educate them on drug abuse and its health implications, sex education to prevent them from illicit sex, falling prey to perpetrators of child abuse, molestation and other societal ills,” Awunor said.
Receiving the items, Head Girl of the school, Miss Fatima Ibrahim, commended the association for the kind gesture and said it was a right step in the right direction.
