Africa-Press – Uganda. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called for urgent policy and regulatory reforms to tackle persistent menstrual health challenges in Uganda, warning that limited access to affordable products continues to undermine girls’ education and national development.
Speaking at the opening of the Uganda Menstrual Health Symposium in Kampala, UNFPA Deputy Representative Daniel Alemu said nearly one in five adolescent girls in Uganda misses school due to menstruation and period poverty, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
The two-day symposium, held under the theme “Driving Standards and Policy Reform for Affordable Menstrual Products,” has brought together government officials, regulators, civil society organisations, private sector actors, and development partners to forge a coordinated response to gaps in menstrual health.
Alemu stressed that the challenge extends beyond access to sanitary products, pointing to systemic barriers such as inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure.
“These are not isolated service delivery issues, but structural constraints that undermine the rights and potential of young women,” Alemu said.
He warned that continued inaction could slow Uganda’s progress toward long-term development goals, including those outlined in the Uganda Vision 2040, by weakening human capital development.
A central message from the symposium, he noted, is the need to move away from fragmented interventions toward a comprehensive, system-wide approach that integrates standards, regulation, financing, and service delivery.
“Without alignment across policy, markets, and regulation, inequalities in access and affordability will persist,” Alemu added.
The agency also highlighted Uganda’s increasing participation in shaping global standards for menstrual health products, particularly through engagement in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 338.
Through the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), the country has established national frameworks to contribute to international standard-setting and has already submitted technical input on proposed global safety and quality benchmarks ahead of an upcoming meeting in Ghana.
Alemu commended UNBS for positioning Uganda as an active contributor in global discussions, rather than a passive adopter of standards.
However, he cautioned that standards alone will not resolve the challenges unless supported by enabling policies and fiscal reforms.
While Uganda has introduced measures such as zero-rating menstrual products, Alemu said a gap remains between policy commitments and actual affordability at the household level.
Stakeholders at the symposium raised concerns over persistent cost pressures within the menstrual health market, despite government incentives for local production.
They noted that while there are no direct taxes on sanitary pad production, high import costs on raw materials—particularly fabric used in reusable pads—continue to drive up prices.
These costs are passed on to consumers, leaving many households unable to afford essential products. Reusable sanitary pads, for instance, cost an average of Shs35,000, placing them out of reach for many families.
Alemu pointed to inefficiencies in the supply chain, particularly affecting micro, small, and medium enterprises involved in production and distribution, which continue to face regulatory and tax-related burdens.
“Emerging tax pressures risk undermining gains in affordability. We must align fiscal policy with public health and equity objectives,” he said.
UNFPA also flagged regulatory bottlenecks across importation, manufacturing, and distribution systems as key contributors to high costs and inconsistent availability of menstrual products.
To address these challenges, the agency said it is working with private sector players and industry associations to streamline processes and improve market efficiency.
“Our goal is to establish a predictable, transparent, and efficient regulatory environment that incentivises quality, supports local industry, and expands equitable access,” Alemu said.
Experts at the symposium also emphasised the importance of Uganda’s participation in global technical discussions to shape standards that reflect local realities.
Sophia Grinvalds, a Menstrual Health Markets Specialist at the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund, said Uganda is increasingly influencing how quality, safety, and consistency are defined globally.
“What if countries didn’t just adopt standards but helped create them? Uganda is leaning into that possibility,” she said.
Her remarks point to a broader shift by Ugandan institutions toward actively shaping global frameworks in public health sectors such as menstrual hygiene.
Despite progress in policy and standards, sector players warned that affordability remains a major barrier to access, particularly for low-income households, with implications for education outcomes and public health.
They argued that without targeted interventions to reduce input costs and strengthen local manufacturing, policy gains may not translate into real improvements for the majority of Ugandans.
Alemu urged stakeholders to use the symposium to deliver concrete outcomes, including clear policy priorities, stronger engagement in global standard-setting, and actionable solutions to fiscal and regulatory constraints.
“We must move from dialogue to implementation, from commitments to accountability, and from pilot initiatives to scale,” he said.
He added that Uganda has the potential to position itself as a regional leader in building an inclusive, standards-driven menstrual health market that guarantees quality, affordability, and dignity for all women and girls.
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