Realizing potential with small health interventions

Education has long been seen as a basic human right. It is a provision that can change a life and deliver a positive future for an individual and a society. It might feel strange then that a girl in Ghana could be denied her future potential because of a need for sanitary pads.

A wonderful research paper by Montgomery et al. (2012) demonstrates what impact can be made with a small health intervention, not only for the girls but for the economy of a lesser developed country. The research divided 120 schoolgirls into three groups of different health interventions. The first group was offered both sanitary pads and puberty education. The second was offered puberty education alone. The last was a control group that received neither. The outcome being measured was school attendance.

After three months, offering both pads and puberty education significantly improved attendance. After five months, education alone improved attendance to the same level. For less than a dollar, a young girl can be encouraged to stay in school for much longer. Even if sanitary pads are not provided, basic health education could empower girls to continue their learning journey and realize their potential.

-----

About Neoscholar: Neoscholar partners with world-leading researchers to create research-driven courses and mentor students through meaningful academic research journeys.