Menstrual Hygiene Scheme

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29-Jul-2022: Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements the Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years since 2011. The scheme is supported by the National Health Mission through State Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) route based on the proposals received from the States / UTs. The major objectives of the scheme are (i) to increase awareness among adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene; (ii) to increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls, and (iii) to ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environment friendly manner. Under the scheme, a pack of sanitary napkins are provided to adolescent girls by the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) at subsidized rate of Rs. 6 per pack.

In addition, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has developed National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) for creating awareness on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in rural areas as part of its overall interventions related to behaviour change on sanitation hygiene aspect.

Further, to ensure access to sanitary napkins and good quality medicines at affordable price, Department of Pharmaceuticals under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers implements the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), an important step in ensuring the health security for women. Under the project, over 8700 Janaushadhi Kendras have been set up across the country that provides Oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins named Suvidha at Rs. 1/- per pad only.

30-Jul-2021: Menstrual Hygiene Among Adolescent Girls

Government is working to improve menstrual hygiene practices through various Ministries. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) has been implementing the Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years as part of the Reproductive Child Health programme since 2011 and later under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram. The major objectives of the scheme are to increase awareness among adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene, to increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls and to ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environmentally friendly manner. Since 2015-16, the procurement of sanitary napkins and IEC/ BCC activities for menstrual hygiene are being supported by National Health Mission through the State Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) route based on the proposals received from States and UTs. States/ UTs have decentralized procurement of sanitary napkins for ensuring quality standards. The details of funds allocated for promotion of menstrual hygiene under the National Health Mission by MHFW State/ UT wise, including Odisha, is placed at Annexure.

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has developed National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management (NHM) with focus on ensuring provision of functional toilets and availability of safe water.

Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers of Government of India under the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), provides low cost hygienic oxy-biodegradable sanitary napkins named as Suvidha. The price of the sanitary pads has been reduced from Rs. 4.00 per pad on launch to Rs 1.00 per pad, which is available for sale in more than 7,900 PMBJP Kendras across the country to ensure ‘Swachhta, Swasthya and Suvidha for the underprivileged women of India.

4-Jan-2019: Menstrual Hygiene for Adolescent girls Schemes

To address the need of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls residing primarily in rural areas, Government of India is supporting the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme, under which, funds are provided to States/UTs through National Health Mission for decentralized procurement of sanitary napkins packs for provision primarily to rural adolescent girls at subsidized rates as per proposals received from the States and UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans.

This scheme encompasses the following:

  • Increasing awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene
  • Improving access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls in rural areas.
  • Ensuring safe disposal of Sanitary Napkins in an environmentally friendly manner.
  • Provision of funds to ASHAs to hold monthly meeting with adolescents to discuss issues related to menstrual hygiene.

A range of IEC material has been developed around Menstrual hygiene Scheme, using a 360 degree approach to create awareness among adolescent girls about safe & hygienic menstrual health practices which includes audio, video and reading materials for adolescent girls and job-aids for ASHAs and other field level functionaries for communicating with adolescent girls.

ASHAs across the country are trained and play a significant role in promotion of use and distribution of the sanitary napkins.

Department of Health Research, under the Ministry of Health, is involved in assessment of all newer, alternative, environment friendly menstrual hygiene products to look into their safety and acceptability features.