The New Juaben North Municipal Chief Executive Samuel Adongo has announced plans by the Assembly to construct modern toilet facilities and girls’ changing rooms in public basic schools across the municipality to improve sanitation and menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls.
The Municipal Chief Executive disclosed this during the celebration of this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day held at Koforidua Asokore on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
According to him, poor sanitation and inadequate washroom facilities in many schools continue to make it difficult for girls to properly manage their menstruation while in school.
“If you go to most of the basic schools, the toilet facilities there are in a very bad state that it’s not even accessible at all. So the New Juaben North Municipality has taken it upon itself to put it on our budget this year to see how best we can fix all the washrooms within the municipality,” he stated.
He explained that the assembly intends to upgrade washrooms in basic schools and provide conducive spaces where girls can comfortably change sanitary pads during their menstrual periods.
The MCE made the announcement while supporting the programme with quantities of sanitary pads for distribution to students.
He assured that very soon,the Municipal Education Directorate will receieve its share of sanitary pads under government’s free sanitary pads to students program.
The event, organized by the Eastern Regional Health Directorate and the Ghana Education Service, was used to intensify education on menstrual hygiene and address myths and misconceptions surrounding menstruation.
Some school girls who participated in the programme disclosed that they previously believed menstruation was linked to witchcraft due to misinformation within their communities.
One student said she had been told that menstruation meant a girl was a witch, while another recounted how cultural beliefs in some communities prevent menstruating girls and women from cooking.
Public Health Nurse Edith Asiedua of the Eastern Regional Health Directorate noted that awareness creation on menstruation would now be extended beyond schools to parents and communities to help correct misinformation and stigma.
Eastern Regional Girls Child Education Officer Patricia Brago Gyamfi also revealed that government plans to introduce reusable sanitary pads to complement the ongoing free sanitary pad distribution programme for adolescent girls.
She said the intervention would help reduce absenteeism among girls who miss school because they cannot afford sanitary pads.
Other issues discussed during the programme included improper disposal of sanitary pads and the need for boys and men to support menstrual hygiene education.
This year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration received support from organizations including Telecel, DMAC Foundation, and the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, which donated sanitary pads for distribution to students.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com
