The Dr. T.M.A. Pai Endowment Chair for Social Entrepreneurship, Manipal University, would be launching its ‘Health and hygiene of adolescent girls’ programme at Perdoor High School in Perdoor village of Udupi district on March 28.
Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Veena Kamath, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, said that under the programme, the Chair would be providing free sanitary napkins to 22,500 adolescent girls in 180 high schools in rural areas of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.
Menstrual hygiene is an important issue for girls and women in rural areas. The volunteers of various departments of the university would educate them about menstrual hygiene and reproductive issues. They will be sensitised on the use and advantages of sanitary napkins. H.G. Joshi, Chairperson of Dr. T.M.A. Pai Endowment Chair for Social Entrepreneurship, said the sanitary napkins to be distributed to the girls were being produced by Self Help Groups run by the Chair for Social Entrepreneurship at Parkala and Laila.
“We are planning to distribute the sanitary napkins free of cost for a year. But it will also depend on the demand,” he said.
The programme is being launched in association with the Departments of Community Medicine, Public Health, and Commerce, School of Nursing and Volunteer Service Organisation of Manipal University in Udupi; in association with St. Agnes College in Dakshina Kannada.
Funds for this programme were being raised by appealing to organisations, companies and institutions. “Our focus is also on community development,” Dr. Joshi said.
Sanitary napkins to be distributed to 22,500 adolescent girls in rural areas of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada districts
