Group cautions young women on hygiene

The sure start Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, has advocated proper hygienic culture for young women, especially during their menstrual cycles to prevent health challenges.

Founder and executive director of the initiative, Binta Shehu, gave the advise while addressing over 1500 secondary schools’ girls at the occasion of International girl child day in Kano.

She regretted that unlike other regions in the country, the girl child faces dire socioeconomic and cultural challenges in Northern Nigeria, which hinder their full potential.

Binta, who expressed concerns over the prevailing cases of reproductive dysfunction and infertility among other critical health issues peculiar to young women in Northern Nigeria, charged government at all levels to improve water sanitation and hygiene in Kano secondary Schools.

She added that the SURE START Initiative “as a social enterprise, is using strategic advocacy to improve health care services of the girl child because we are aware of the challenges facing girls in the North.

“We counsel the girls and we talk to them, particularly about hygiene and the need to take it very important because of the negative impact in the future.

“We are worried that our public schools do not have toilets, no water and no disposal facility. How do you expect girls who are undergoing such pains to perform in their examinations? Binta queried.

Guest speaker at the occasion, Garba Shehu, urged the Kano State Government to check the return of street hawkers to reduce out-of-school girls in the state.

It distributed sanitary pads to the girl child as part of social health advocacy strategy to keep the girls fit.