Insufficient sanitation facilities frustrating girls in schools

In Uganda, poverty, early marriages and teenage pregnancies drive high school dropout rates for adolescent girls.

By addressing menstrual hygiene and school reintegration, experts believe adolescent girls will stay in school with confidence and dignity.

AMREF Health Africa in Uganda office head of communications and fundraising Lillian Kamanzi Mugisha says many adolescent girls miss school because of poor hygiene management.

According to Mugisha, this absenteeism is driven by inadequate knowledge of how to manage cramps and by insufficient hygiene facilities, such as toilets and running water.

Mugisha says across all their programmes, they have realised that some girls aged 10 to 18 drop out of school not because of a lack of academic ability, but because of basic needs.

“For instance, data from our WASH and Gender Transformative Action programmes show that many girls miss over 30 school days annually due to challenges managing their menstrual health,” explained Mugisha.

“The challenge is that many girls miss school because they don’t know how to manage period pain or use sanitary pads properly. Without counselling from trained teachers and parents, these girls often end up feeling depressed, uncomfortable and ashamed.” Mugisha stated.

To manage menstrual hygiene within the schools, Mugisha said, AMREF has created safe spaces where girls can access simple painkillers, have incinerators and running water all the time in bathrooms. Besides that, they have also provided some emergency sanitary pads in schools.

She made the remarks during the 2026 Absa KH3-7 Hills Run held at Lugogo Millenium Grounds on Sunday.

The initiative, held under the theme, Run So She Can, aimed at supporting girls' education.

David Olim interacts with Lillian Kamanzi Mugisha, AMREF Health Africa Uganda head of Communications and Fundraising during the 2026 Absa KH3-7 Hills Run held at Lugogo Millenium Grounds on May 17th 2026. (Credit: Juliet Kasirye)

At Absa KH37 Hills Run, Sylvia Chellangat won the ladies’ category with an impressive time of 1:46:55, and Peter Akwech emerged as the winner in the men’s category after finishing in 1:21:40. Both champions walked away with land titles.

To tackle barriers such as poverty and economic pressure that push adolescent girls out of school, Absa Bank Uganda has partnered with Amref Health Africa through the annual Absa KH37 Hills Run “Run for Her” initiative.

This partnership, according to Mugisha, focuses on integrated menstrual hygiene management, school support, and sexual and reproductive health interventions in underserved districts.

“Under Amref’s Heroes of Gender programme, in 2024, Absa allocated sh30m to provide 1,875 girls with reusable sanitary pads. In 2025, we received sh50m to facilitate distribution of reusable sanitary pads and support reintegration for teen mothers who dropped out of school. We also received a sh10m Social Impact Award to strengthen community impact initiatives.” Mugisha disclosed.

Through such partnerships, Mugisha said they have supported a total of 5,394 girls in Mayuge and Mbale districts. The support includes distribution of reusable sanitary pads and dignity kits, trained teachers on menstrual hygiene management, strengthened WASH facilities in schools, among others.

Flagging off the runners, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Uganda, Sylvia Mulinge told runners that they are not running for medals or reaching the finishing line; they are running to keep the girl child in school.

“Personally, I am a mother, and I have a girl who is turning 17 years old today. I know my daughter is much more privileged than many others in Uganda who don’t get access to education and basic skills that can allow them to be able to achieve their full potential,” confessed Mulinge.

Addressing runners, Mulinge said, they are not running for themselves, they are running to create awareness and an impact that will make the girl child unstoppable.