Improving Access to Feminine Hygiene Products in Sub-Saharan Africa

Over the past, menstrual hygiene and management have been a neglected priority due to feeble donor strategies and the national government policies across the Sub-Saharan. Several countries in the region face several health issues, which is attributed to poorly developed health systems, underdevelopment, and lack of effective governance structures. Feminine hygiene has been a fundamental challenge to women due to limited access and knowledge on the sanitary materials. Besides, cultural acceptability of hygiene products has been overlooked. Majority of the women prefer traditional practices since they are conversant with the products and considered more affordable. Advocacy groups have played a major role in enhancing global health in the region with a focus on improving access to feminine hygiene products. The groups have laid vigorous campaign strategies that seek to raise awareness on quality health and at the same time, mobilizing funds to support the course.

Thesis Statement

The paper seeks to determine the feminine hygiene in the Sub-Saharan region, which has posed as a global health issue. The study will further provide the prevalence and incidence of the issue in Africa. Besides, the research will outline current interventions and recommendations on how to improve access to feminine hygiene products for quality care. The focus will be future directions and programs that seek to guarantee quality feminine health in the region.

Prevalence and Incidence

The access to feminine hygiene products has been attributed to gaps in knowledge on hygiene management, coupled with challenges due to lack of affordable menstrual packages. For example, women and girls in the Sub-Saharan region lack access to facilities and services that would help handle or cope with the logistical requirements during periods. The worst hit areas are remote rural areas and the majority of school-attending girls. According to Ssewanyana and Bitanihirwe (2019), approximately 50% and 70% of young girls experience inadequate preparation for menstrual hygiene. Inadequate clean water, private space and washrooms, lack of materials for managing the periods, and inappropriate disposal of used pads, as well as the inaccessible pain relief drugs further worsen the situation.

The incidence of feminine periods is frequent; hence, many women cannot afford disposable products every month while some fail at all. Majority of drugstores run by men may not emphasize the sale if reusable products for women. The region does not appreciate the fact that menstruation is a normal, healthy, and vital process among women (Millington & Bolton, 2015). A negative cultural attitude has grown roots in the community, which has translated to a taboo that considers women as dirty and impure.

Discriminatory cases have subjected girls and women in the region to a high risk of illness. For example, some girls cannot properly wash or dry their reusable sanitary towels in a bid to enhance hygiene in school environments since it is a taboo. They cannot dry them outside; hence, they end up hiding them under beds or roof thatches, which provide a ground for bacteria to breed, leading to illnesses (Kuhlmann, Henry, & Wall, 2017). Therefore, it is important to help women and girls, as well as the community, understand that monthly menses are a normal health issue and feminine deserve safety, respect, dignity, and privacy in a bid to manage their health issues.

Disposable menstrual hygiene products in Sub-Saharan Africa are not an option for menstruating women. Majority of the African women cannot afford such products or may fear to purchase from shops operated by men. Besides, disposal of the used hygiene products has proved to be a challenge due to the environmental impact. Several charity organizations in the region have made strides through the provision of sanitary towels (Jewitt & Ryley, 2014). However, due to the high demand for the materials, it has proved to be a challenge in serving schoolgirls from disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, a free supply to 960 women across different sixty villages increased subsequent demands for pads (Millington & Bolton, 2015). Therefore, continuity and the sustainability of sanitary supply program face constant challenges, which can lead to local design for reusable sanitary towels that may not meet prescribed health standards.

Current Interventions and Recommendations

Interventions that improve hygiene among adolescent girls and women include hardware or physical infrastructures, such as sanitary products and wash facilities (Ssewanyana & Bitanihirwe, 2019). Besides, software components, such as raising awareness and educating girls to change and adopt hygienic lifestyles would improve health outcomes. Furthermore, school absences that are attributed to the difficult management of menses would be outdated (Kuhlmann et al., 2017). Regions lying in urban centers except for highly populate and slum villages tend to have proper menstrual hygiene. However, rural areas highly experience poor hygiene in the Sub-Saharan region. There is a need to balance the campaign in the region, covering both urban and the rural setups to ensure that women and girls are acquainted with the existence of the reusable menstrual products guarantee sustainable hygiene.

Several companies, such as Unilever and advocacy groups have rolled out programs and campaigns that seek to boost the global health issue. For example, Unilever’s Always brand has gained acceptance in the region, which has been considered as one of the most economical, practical, and environmentally sustainable hygiene products for menstrual management. Some governments through education departments have adopted the provision of free or subsidized hygiene products. The move has enhanced learning and reduce psychological trauma among adolescent school-going girls. Besides, accessing safe and clean water enhances hand and menstrual hygiene with the use of reusable pads guarantee a comfortable learning environment.

Educating a girl is an effective tool for development, which translates to personal hygiene management (Jewitt & Ryley, 2014). Education enlightens one and helps in understanding that menstruation is a healthy biological process. Compulsory sex education would help girls understand themselves better before attaining menarche. It also reduces the knowledge gap, which has been a great challenge to several Sub-Saharan girls have about puberty. It further helps in challenging cultural acceptance and sexual exploitation that put them at risk of harm and other illnesses. For example, an educated girl would not easily accept cash or any goodies from men as an exchange for money or support in obtaining sanitary towels.  

Adoption and the implementation of policies that suit resource-poor settings would guarantee improved health and the social status of women and girls. For example, it is cheap to adopt awareness programs that seek to empower women on the importance of personal hygiene. Besides, emphasis on them that the condition is an unavoidable and normal process for all healthy women and girls would free them from cultural entangles and stereotypes, which make them believe that they are dirty (Millington & Bolton, 2015). The strategy works especially for schoolgirls who may consider hard to manage recurrent cycles.

Strengths and Barriers to Alleviating the Issue

            Every stakeholder appreciates that it is important to improve access to feminine hygiene products in the region. Poor women and girls in the region face financial support, coupled with poor knowledge on hygiene practices but, advocacy groups, companies, and governments have unilaterally joined hands in empowering women and improving access to menstrual products. Several groups and associations have supported the campaign through the provision of free pads and education funds, ensuring that vulnerable girls do not miss lessons due to manageable menstrual conditions.

Despite the concerted effort towards improving access to menstrual products, the access for adequate feminine hygiene products has been hindered by factors, such as lack of knowledge of personal hygiene, unsustainable provision of free hygiene products, and poor support from local authorities. Some of the programs have failed or experience inherent financial distress due to high demand for the pads. Besides, some governments have policies that hinder access to hygiene products. For example, tax and tariff policies that impose taxes on menstrual hygiene products, increasing prices to a level that cannot be afforded by a majority of women and girls in the region.

Recommendations

Professionals associations, regional, governmental or affiliated organizations have spearheaded the drive for improved menstrual hygiene through adequate and constant access to feminine products. Despite the effort, some of women and girls in the Sub-Saharan African face inherent sanitary challenges, which have lowered personal esteem and development (Hennegan et al., 2018). Therefore, there is need to adopt realistic and relevant strategies that enlighten women on the importance of proper hygiene and improve the access for the products.

Providing basic formal education raises the level of literacy in society. Therefore, countries in the region should emphasis on strategies that seek to support education for both young boys and girls. The approach would help the majority of schoolgirls appreciate that menstruation is inevitable and the best way to manage is to adopt appropriate hygiene and management. Besides, enhancing awareness in the community would help men and boys appreciate that the menstruation process is normal and they should not harass or stigmatize women and girls.

Possible Future Directions for Prevention or Intervention

            Better menstrual hygiene can be achieved through the adoption of educational interventions. Secondly, emphasizing on personal hygiene practices would lead to improved health of the feminine and the community at large. Education enhances knowledge and hygiene skills, for instance, washing and sun-drying clothes. Additionally, learned women and girls comfortably use and dispose of sanitary parts; hence, enhancing personal health and decreasing cases of school absenteeism during menses.

The provision of reusable feminine products has proved to be practically economical and environmentally sustainable. However, poor knowledge on the existence, high costs, and the psychological barriers have compromised access to menstrual hygiene products (Tamiru et al., 2015). Therefore, adoptions of alternative approaches, such as the use of menstrual cups are more appropriate and sustainable, unlike reusable pads. Once the perceptions and experiences of girls change, especially with the insertion, they will experience less leakage. The cups help them stay safe and remain more comfortable than sanitary pads. Hence, the intervention would reduce costs incurred on the reusable cup and prevent school dropouts, as well as achieve improved sexual and reproductive health.

Sub-Saharan region is largely underdeveloped, characterized by poor settings and androcentric men. Majority of the men primarily control women and maintain power, a stereotype that has compromised the financial independence of women. Therefore, economic empowerment comes second as the most appropriate approach that enhances financial independence. A financially stable woman can afford personal effects and hygiene products; hence, reducing cases of health complications attributed to menstruation (Tamiru et al., 2015). Therefore, the feminine should enjoy equal job opportunities as men in a bid to boost their financial stability. The government should outline policies that offer equal job opportunities to both men and women; hence, reducing reliance on men for the provision of hygiene products for family members, women and girls. The approach provides a long-term solution that would see women strong and healthy.

The other possible future direction for the intervention would be engaging social entrepreneurs in developing countries. One of the factors that have led to compromised feminine hygiene is the inability to afford menstrual products. Therefore, engaging entrepreneurs through small enterprises that manufacture low-cost pads would offer a long-lasting solution to the women and girls in the region (Millington & Bolton, 2015). Besides, unsustainably high demand for the sanitary towels may not be met by several advocacy groups; therefore, teaming up or supporting such entrepreneurs would guarantee sustainable affordable and adequate delivery of hygiene products. One of the successful social entrepreneurs includes Aaakar and Sustainable Health Enterprises, abbreviated as SHE (Millington & Bolton, 2015). SHE program has helped women to start social businesses that manufacture and sell affordable menstrual and hygiene pads. For example, farmers in Rwanda have been throwing away banana trunk fiber but the group has helped women set up factories within the community where they cut, card, wash, fluff, and dry banana products, which are made into affordable menstrual pads (Millington & Bolton, 2015). The group has further innovated ways in which it replicates its operation in Sub-Saharan Africa but the local governments should support such initiatives to boost feminine health in schools and the community. Additionally, governments in the region should waive all value-added taxes on feminine hygiene products and provide an enabling environment that encourages social businesses.

In conclusion, feminine hygiene in the African region has become a global health issue and there is a need to enhance access to menstrual products. Financial challenges and lack of hygiene practice knowledge have led to poor menstrual management. However, several advocacy associations and companies through CSR initiatives have spearheaded the access to subsidized or free sanitary pads and the cups though the programs have faced unsustainable financial challenges. It is important for the governments in the region to adopt or support initiatives that guarantee women and girls personal hygiene. For example, encouraging social entrepreneurs and the removal of levies would enhance affordability and access to feminine hygiene products.

References

Hennegan, J., Zimmerman, L., Shannon, A., Exum, N., OlaOlorun, F., Omoluabi, E., & Schwab, K. (2018). The relationship between household sanitation and women’s experience of menstrual hygiene: Findings from a cross-sectional survey in Kaduna State, Nigeria. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(5), 905.

Jewitt, S., & Ryley, H. (2014). It’s a girl thing: Menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya. Geoforum, 56, 137-147.

Kuhlmann, A. S., Henry, K., & Wall, L. L. (2017). Menstrual hygiene management in resource-poor countries. Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey, 72(6), 356.

Millington, K. A., & Bolton, L. (2015). Improving access to menstrual hygiene products. Birmingham, UK: Governance and Social Development Resource Centre.

Ssewanyana, D., & Bitanihirwe, B. K. Y. (2019). Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Global Health Promotion, 26(1), 105-108.

Tamiru, S., Mamo, K., Acidria, P., Mushi, R., Ali, C. S., & Ndebele, L. (2015). Towards a sustainable solution for school menstrual hygiene management: Cases of Ethiopia, Uganda, South-Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Waterlines, 34(1), 92-102.