NRHM to launch hygiene programme for rural girls

Under the one-year pilot project, estimated 10 lakh girls aged between 10 and 19 will be given six sanitary napkins per cycle by their respective Primary Health Centres (PHCs). The nine districts include the six districts of north Karnataka and Chamarajnagar, Kolar and Chitradurga in south Karnataka.

Attending the consultative meet on ‘child care during mother's sterilisation’ organised by the Family Planning Association (FPA) India, Bangalore branch, Dr Palekar said the budget for the project - Rs 20 crore - will be released by the Health ministry.

Meanwhile, Dr Naina Rani, deputy director, Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (PPTCT) programme, NRHM integration, Karnataka State Aids Prevention Society (KSAPS), said that contrary to the notion, HIV positive women could give breast milk to baby till six months. She added that instead of tubectomy (sterilisation method for women), HIV infected women should be given post partum IUD (PPIUD) till the HIV status of her child is clarified.

Dr Sheela Mane, vice-president of the FPA, Bangalore branch, said women in urban areas were suffering from breast abscess and found it difficult to give breast milk to their child. Dr Mane said since the number of deliveries was more in bigger hospitals, few deliveries had the presence of pediatrician. “Without checking the baby's condition, we don't do sterilisation. We also don't conduct sterilisation on women who have not had normal pregnancy, hypertensive during pregnancy, anaemic or any other health problems,” she said.