AYV News, May 30, 2025
The Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) under the leadership of OAFLAD President, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, hosted a high-level virtual summit on World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025 with the theme “Ending Period Poverty to Advance HIV Prevention and Gender Equality in Africa.”
The summit was organised to confront the pressing and often overlooked crisis of Period Poverty and its negative effects. It brought together stakeholders, political leaders, health experts and advocates from across the continent in an urgent call to action aimed at breaking barriers to menstrual health and safeguarding the future of Africa’s girls and women.
Moderated by Tolessa Olana of AHF, the session began with a warm welcome address and a clear message: period poverty is not just a hygiene issue—it is a public health, human rights, and gender equality emergency.
Dr. Nardos Berhanu, Executive Secretary of OAFLAD, led the opening session, thanking key speakers, including Dr. Kate Ssamula (AHF Africa Deputy Bureau Chief), Mr. MomoFrancis Turay (Office of the First Lady of Sierra Leone), and H.E. Amb. Amma Twum-Amoah (African Union Commission). Each underscored the devastating impact period poverty has on education, health, and HIV vulnerability for millions of African girls.
In his remarks on behalf of Sierra Leone’s First Lady and OAFLAD President, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, Mr. Turay stated:
“One in ten African girls misses school due to menstruation. 70% lack access to affordable menstrual products. Period poverty is fueling HIV transmission, as girls resort to risky survival strategies just to manage their basic biological needs.”
Delivering the keynote address, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah hailed First Lady Mrs Fatima Maada Bio’s leadership role in Africa concerning Mrs. Bio’s advocacy, especially in areas of combating girls’ Period Poverty & Menstrual Hygiene issues. She then gave extensive statistics showing the depths of the issue affecting girls. She assured of the fullest collaboration of the African Union with OAFLAD in the areas of advancement of women and girls in Africa.
As part of the Summit’s engagement, a panel discussion followed, co-moderated by Oluwakemi Gbadamosi (AHF) and Eswatini youth ambassador Phiwokuhle (Phiwo), highlighting youth-led initiatives, policy strategies, and community innovations.
Angela Babriye of AfriYAN shared the struggles of young girls in Uganda, who often miss school or face stigma during menstruation. Dr. Thaddée Ndikumana (Burundi) and Joseph Kaphipa (Zanzibar) discussed effective national financing and policy mechanisms, calling for tax elimination on menstrual products and integration into HIV programming.
Caroline Ngonze of UNFPA emphasized that menstrual health must be embedded into broader development and HIV strategies, while Khumo Maake (South Africa) and SorieIbrahim Koroma (Sierra Leone) spotlighted grassroots solutions, including menstrual cup programs and male engagement campaigns.
The event concluded with a rousing closing message from Dr. Nardos Berhanu, who urged governments, civil societies, and communities to take immediate steps, including eliminating taxes on menstrual products and raw materials, ensuring free sanitary product distribution in schools and vulnerable communities, integrating menstrual health education into HIV prevention strategies, involving men and boys in promoting menstrual health and gender equality, and finally, mobilizing local efforts to educate and empower girls.
“Ending period poverty is essential for advancing HIV prevention and achieving gender equality,” said Dr. Nardos. “No girl should have to choose between her health and her education. The time to act is now,” Dr. Nardos concluded.
As the digital room closed, one message resonated clearly: Menstruation should never be a source of shame, danger, or lost opportunity. With collective will, period poverty can be a thing of the past, unlocking the promise of health, dignity, and equality for every girl across Africa.
