Abuja – A Sanitation Expert, Mrs Yemisi Akpa, has called on appropriate authorities to ensure that school girls have decent and separate toilet facilities in schools to manage their menstrual hygiene effectively.
Akpa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that having an effective menstrual hygiene culture would encourage increased enrolment and retention of girls in schools.
She said access to Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools would also reduce outbreak of preventable diseases in the country.
“If you provide water and sanitation in schools, issues of girls not going to school, missing out in lectures because they don’t have access to toilet facilities when they are on their period will be addressed.
“Many of them stay at home when they start their period, because there are no facilities, and you will have increased enrolment and retention of girls in schools.
“Health wise, instead of taking the money to take care of the sick, that money could be diverted or used for better things for the family to increase their economic power.”
Akpa said it was important for Nigeria to have a National Sanitation Policy, saying “it presents a guideline for all stakeholders to take towards meeting Nigeria’s target of Ending Open Defecation (OD) by 2025.
“The policy gives the frameworks, it guides the actors on what to do, it gives an overview on what we intend to do, it also provides an implementation strategy.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560”]
“It gives a direction on what government is doing and provides a framework in which every player works,’’ she said.
Akpa, who is also a Desk Officer, WASH, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, said Nigeria’s Roadmap on ending OD was targeted towards what government at all levels could do to promote access to sanitation and hygiene.
The programme is tailored towards what activities needed to be done to achieve that.
“The ministry of water resources is presently looking at what the government can do to promote sanitation, through involvement of different stakeholders like the private sectors, coming in to see the part they can play by providing facilities in public places.
“The ministry is also looking at how to engage other sectors like schools, education and health ministry on how to see that we have facilities in schools, health sectors.
“The ministry also seeks to engage the private sectors to provide facilities in other places like markets, motor parks and others,” she said.
She stressed the role of continuous sensitisation and awareness in hygiene promotion activities, saying this would go a long way to promote a healthier environment.
According to WaterAid, one in every three women around the World does not have access to a toilet during their periods and many suffer discrimination because of beliefs that they are ‘contaminated’ or ‘impure.’ (NAN)