Eco-friendly napkins, other innovations for menstrual health

Bio-degradable and pocket friendly cotton pads and menstrual cups are among numerous innovations available in the market today to help the sanitary needs of women and girls during menstruation.
Lack of availability of proper sanitary materials and limited access to toilets and water in rural and urban areas leads to Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) in 70 per cent women in India and 30 per cent adolescent girls drop out of school after reaching puberty, says a study by A C Nielsen.
"India accounts for 27 per cent of the world's cervical cancer deaths, for which poor menstrual hygiene is partly to blame," says Tanya Dargan Mahajan, a development consultant working with PATH, an NGO which participated in the first global Menstrual Hygiene Day held here recently.

Women and girls, especially in rural parts of the country use newspaper, cloth rags, ashes, leaves, hay, mud and other ineffective and unhygienic alternatives that can lead to long-term health risks such as RTIs, toxic shock syndrome or cervical cancer.
Several NGOs and enterprises have come forward to address the issue though a host of innovations.
One such innovation is a cheaper than retail price and 100 per cent biodegradable sanitary pad by Azadi, a startup working in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

"We have developed eco-ultra thin sanitary napkin that costs only Rs 20 for 8 pads. These pads are being circulated in schools and primary health centres in the country's rural areas," says Dhirendra Pratap Singh, Cofounder and CEO, Azadi.

The enterprise has also come up with the idea of a toll-free 'Menstrual Helpline' and school awareness program for adolescents, which is set to be launched soon.
Similarly, PATH, which works on health innovation across 70 countries is testing a hybrid reusable sanitary pad.
"Currently in testing stage, our product - a reusable hybrid sanitary pad is fitted with a leak-resistant sleeve with options to use either a disposable or reusable absorbent material. This pad would dry quickly, prevent leaking as well as minimise plastic waste disposal," says Tanya.