Namibia celebrated its 4th official annual commemoration of Menstrual Health and Hygiene Day (MHHD) where different stakeholders came together with students to focus on the need to address the issues surrounding menstrual health while promoting it as a human rights issue alongside hygiene management.
The Regional Education Director for Hardap, Mr. Gerhard Ndafenongo noted the importance attached to engaging in advocacy with political leaders and donor agencies for projects menstrual health as it is a natural result for women to continue having their periods, and the hygiene concerns such situation raises is critical.
“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 a healthy and natural biological process, without which life on earth ceases to exist,” he said.
The celebrations saw the launch of the integrated School Health Programme (ISHP), a program conceived to implement the Health Promoting Schools Initiative which will focus on promoting conducive teaching and learning and healthy lifestyles among the students and citizens alike.
As established by stakeholders, part of the ISHP core institutions is an Integrated School Health Task Force at a national level, where relevant actors will together work on planning, coordinating, monitoring and evaluation, research resource mobilization and advocacy for the program.
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