Live Correspondent: A school health programme of the 'Public Health Improvement Initiative Rajshahi (PHIIR) Project is teaching adolescents, mostly girls, on reproductive health, nutrition, sanitation and menstrual hygiene management to inspire them in leading a healthy life.

Kachari Koaliara High School and Bigacha High School in Bagmara Upazila of Rajshahi district and Mosidpur High School in Porsha Upazila and Sharando High School in Sapahar Upazila of Naogaon district initially came under the counseling and motivational programme of the project.

Reproductive health, nutrition, sanitation and menstrual hygiene management are importantly conceptualized for physical and mental development of adolescents. Around 120 adolescents, including 100 girls, were already educated about their regular healthy life from July to December last year.

PHIIR project is being implemented in 110 community clinics, 42 Union Health and Family Welfare Centres and five Upazila Health Complexes in Rajshahi and Naogaon districts since 2013 to improve health at grassroots level and, of mother, neonatal and children.

DASCOH Foundation and Swiss Red Cross jointly are jointly implementing the project to strengthen maternal, neonatal and child healthcare within the primary healthcare system. Tozammel Haque, Project Manager of PHIIR, told BSS that the adolescents
were taught about physical change, sexual and reproductive health, hygiene and nutrition for their normal and safe life.

School students voluntarily participated in the interactive session and voiced their concerns and dreams for the future, he said. Headmasters of the schools and project workers interacted with the students and listened to their stories, he added.

Al Mamun, Head Teacher of Moshidpur High School said, the adolescent girls are being sensitized about menstrual hygiene development. He mentioned that menstruation is still treated as a taboo in the rural areas, with discussions about menstrual health and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) only happening behind closed doors.

"I'm very much pleased after participating in the sessions and menstrual hygiene management sessions were very helpful for our personal life," said Suma Akter, a student of class eight in Moshidpur High School.

Susila Parveen, a sixth grader in Sohorondo High School, said she learnt so many things from the interactive sessions and she enjoyed the whole day. Professor Dr Sabina Sultana of the Department of Psychology in Rajshahi University said adolescence is remarkably a sensitive period for boys and girls. This is the time when many of them commit mistakes due to curiosity and ignorance.

Changes in their body structure and hormonal activity surprise them as due to lack of proper guidance and suggestions from their near and dear ones especially mothers the adolescents can face many problems, she said.

Dhaka, 23 January (campuslive24.com)//BSC