Government to Launch Pilot Initiative to Tackle Period Poverty

The Government is to launch a multi-sectoral National Menstrual Health Equity pilot initiative involving eight schools and approximately 2,000 girls.

The schools will be selected based on the number of Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) students enrolled.

Outlining the initiative during his contribution to the 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on May 12, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said this is aimed at tackling period poverty and improving adolescent health outcomes among school-age girls across Jamaica.

He explained that the programme forms part of the Government’s broader public health agenda.

Dr. Tufton said the Government has allocated $50 million for the initiative, which will be implemented through partnerships with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, as well as civic and multilateral organisations, including UNICEF and HerFlow Foundation.

He pointed out that the programme is expected to guide the development of a national policy framework to address period poverty in Jamaica. He noted that the initiative will also promote menstrual wellness and adolescent health through water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) improvements, HPV vaccination, personal hygiene education, and HIV and sexually transmitted infection-prevention strategies.

Dr. Tufton described period poverty as the inability to afford or access essential menstrual products, education and sanitation facilities, noting that the issue continues to affect millions of girls and women globally.

He said the challenge contributes to significant health risks, shame and stigma, while forcing many young women to use unsafe alternatives or miss school during menstruation. According to the Minister, the problem is driven by high costs, inadequate infrastructure and systemic inequality.

“Globally, over 500 million women lack access to menstrual facilities. And this is not just for Jamaica. In the United States, it is one in four,” Dr. Tufton said. He stressed that period poverty must be viewed not merely as a hygiene issue, but as a systemic barrier that undermines girls’ educational achievement and reinforces cycles of poverty and inequality.

The Minister pointed to data indicating that one in four girls in low-income Jamaican communities miss school during their menstrual cycle, because they cannot access sanitary products. He added that only 30 per cent of public schools currently provide free menstrual supplies, while period-related absenteeism has been linked to lower academic performance and widening educational disparities among vulnerable students.

Minister Tufton also used his presentation to highlight broader family and adolescent health concerns, including declining fertility rates, responsible parenting and family stability. He disclosed that discussions are under way with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security regarding the establishment of a multi-stakeholder national task force on fertility and responsible parenting.

The proposed task force would include representatives from the Health, Labour, Finance and Education sectors, alongside academia, civil society and private-sector stakeholders, and would be responsible for developing a national fertility and family support strategy for Cabinet consideration.