Accra: The Ministry of Education has announced a comprehensive audit of the sanitary pads distributed under the government's Free Sanitary Pad Initiative. This decision comes in response to complaints regarding the poor quality of some pads supplied in 2025. The audit seeks to safeguard students' safety, ensure compliance with standards, and guarantee value for government expenditure.
According to Ghana Web, the Consumer Protection Agency raised concerns that some sanitary pads distributed to schools did not meet acceptable standards. Addressing journalists, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed that a team of auditors has been tasked to assess the quality of sanitary pads received by schoolgirls in 2026.
'I asked a team of auditors to go around the schools and do an audit of the quality of some of the sanitary pads that were supplied, because I received concerns from the Consumer Protection Agency of Ghana as to some poor quality of some of the sanitary pads that were supplied last year,' he explained.
Haruna Iddrisu stated that he is in the process of reviewing the assessment report and will advise the government on appropriate future actions. 'I'm now evaluating the report of the assessment, and I would advise government on whether and how to deal with it into the future,' he said. He also emphasized the importance for companies awarded contracts to adhere to the minimum standards and ensure value for money, urging them to avoid supplying substandard products that could embarrass the government or affect students.
The Free Sanitary Pad Distribution Programme, launched by President John Dramani Mahama in April 2025, aims to provide free sanitary pads to girls from Primary 5 through senior high school nationwide. This initiative is part of efforts to promote gender equality and reduce absenteeism caused by the lack of menstrual hygiene products.