By Osemudiamhen Gloria
The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani has emphasized the importance of hygiene sensitization for the girl-child at the grassroot to bring them up to current standards of hygienic practice and habits in the Edo State.
Mrs. Anani made the call during her meeting with representatives of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Edo State, led by their President, Dr. Irene Akhideno, at the Office of the First Lady, Government House in Benin City.
While appreciating the contributions of the Association to the well-being of the society, Mrs. Anani acknowledged that it is the health of any society, based on the contributions of health personnel, that determines its existence. She acknowledged the Association’s concerns for the girl-child and violated women, saying, “When we are talking about women that are violated, we don’t just want to talk about giving them starter packs. We want to disabuse their minds and counsel them from whatever experience they have had”.
She highlighted the importance of reaching out to girls in rural areas. “I tell people, no matter how civilized you think you are, there are still girls who have never seen a sanitary pad. They are still used to the traditional way of rags. Most importantly, we want to tell them the hygienic part of it. Bath well, dress well. We want to prevent some illnesses from this age”.
Earlier, Dr. Akhideno explained that the Association is a non-governmental organization (NGO), which promotes health and its membership cuts across State, Federal, or private practice. She posited that the health of the Country cannot be the job of the government alone.
She stated that the Association has been actively involved in promoting menstrual hygiene and celebrating the boy child, “We do a lot of outreaches. We also do menstrual hygiene week. Last year we gave over 1,000 menstrual hygiene kits. We also are involved and we celebrate the boy child. So, we go to schools during the days of the boy-child, we talk to them and get our colleagues because we know that these boys need role models.”
The meeting concluded with the presentation of souvenir to the First Lady, who promised to collaborate with the Association in promoting programmes that help better the life of the girl-child in the State.
