The Ministry of Education has launched an audit of the free sanitary pads distributed to schoolgirls under the government’s Free Sanitary Pad Initiative in 2025 following concerns about the quality of some of the products. The move aims to ensure that the items supplied across schools meet the required standards for safety and effectiveness.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced that the audit was ordered after the Consumer Protection Agency raised issues that some of the pads being circulated to basic and secondary schools did not meet acceptable quality standards. Inspection teams have already visited schools and submitted reports based on their findings, which the ministry is now reviewing to decide on next steps.
The audit process is part of wider efforts to protect the health and dignity of schoolgirls who depend on the free pads to manage menstruation and stay in school. The Free Sanitary Pad Initiative, launched in 2025, was designed to reduce period-related absenteeism and promote menstrual health by providing free pads to girls across all regions of Ghana.
Minister Iddrisu has stressed that suppliers must comply with the required standards and warned that the government will take appropriate action if the audit reveals any failure to meet specifications. The review also underscores the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in its social intervention programmes.
The Free Sanitary Pad Initiative is funded by the government as part of efforts to improve education outcomes for girls and help them manage menstrual health without financial burden. Officials say the audit will help ensure that only quality products are distributed and that students receive reliable support throughout the school year
