Nearly two million school children in Ghana still lack access to basic water  and toilet facilities, creating a severe barrier for adolescent girls trying to manage their periods  with dignity. 

While welcoming the government’s Free Sanitary Pads Initiative which aims to reach schoolgirls all over Ghana, UNICEF noted today that addressing deep infrastructure gaps, tracking  deficiencies, as well as promoting safe hygiene practices at various levels will be vital to  sustaining national progress. 

While a decade of policy gains has strengthened Ghana’s menstrual health framework, data  highlights a stark divide between policy and daily reality for millions of girls: 

An estimated 1.9 million children lack water facilities in schools, and 1.8 million lack access to  toilets, limiting a girl’s ability to safely manage her menstruation. 

Over 31 percent of adolescent girls have never received any menstrual health education,  contributing to persistent social stigma and school absenteeism. 

A lack of national tracking systems means vulnerable girls who are out of school are often left  out of multi-sectoral planning. 

Commemorating Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026 under the national theme “Together for a Period Friendly Ghana,” UNICEF, in collaboration with development partners and civil society, proposes  scaling up support and investments in three priority areas: 

Menstrual health is a matter of fundamental human rights, dignity, and economic opportunity.  UNICEF remains fully committed to supporting the Government of Ghana and partners to  ensure no girl is left behind.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most  disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for  every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information  about UNICEF Ghana and its work, visit: www.unicef.org/ghana