Menstrual Health: AHF Targets Cultural Misconceptions Through Comic Publication.

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has launched a comic magazine aimed at educating adolescent girls and young women on menstrual health and hygiene while addressing cultural misconceptions surrounding menstruation.

The 26-page publication was unveiled on Thursday at the foundation’s office in Abuja as part of efforts to make menstrual health information more accessible and understandable to young people.

The magazine highlights the challenges confronting girls in Nigeria, including inadequate menstrual education, cultural taboos, misinformation and the stigma associated with menstruation.

Globally, nearly two billion people menstruate, while about 500 million experience period poverty, highlighting the need for improved access to menstrual health information and hygiene facilities.

In many communities, cultural beliefs discourage open discussions about menstruation, thereby limiting access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information and preventing girls and women from seeking appropriate care.

The AHF publication seeks to change this situation by providing basic information on menstrual health management, correcting misconceptions and promoting positive attitudes towards menstruation.

It also provides practical guidance on maintaining personal hygiene during menstruation and encourages boys and men to support efforts aimed at improving menstrual health management.

Speaking at the launch, AHF Nigeria’s Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Mr Steve Aborisade, said there was a need to intensify menstrual health awareness among adolescents and young women to eliminate the stigma that had hindered advocacy efforts over the years.

He expressed optimism that the comic format would make the information more appealing, easy for the target audience to understand and convenient to share.

The AHF Nigeria Country Programme Director, Dr Echey Ijezie, who presided over the launch, said the foundation planned to translate the magazine into several Nigerian languages to broaden its reach.

He added that AHF would collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Education and explore educational outreach programmes to use the publication as a tool for promoting menstrual health awareness.

Also speaking, Mrs Osaro Osa-Jarikre of the Child Development Department, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, who represented the Minister, said the ministry would incorporate AHF programmes into its forthcoming policy initiatives for the girl child.

She described AHF as a worthy partner in advancing the welfare of young girls in Nigeria and pledged the ministry’s support for the foundation’s initiatives.

The launch was attended by AHF Nursing Manager, Dr Charity Awunor; State Clinical Coordinator, Dr Ugochi Ajaero; Binta Suleiman Jalo of the Kids & Teens Resource Centre, Abuja; Taiwo Ajani of Lawyers Alert, Abuja; representatives of civil society organisations and members of the Girls Act.
Resolve the Makurdi-Abuja dateline