KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — The government will provide free basic personal hygiene kits every month to 130,000 low-income female teenagers in a bid to combat period poverty, Tengku Zafrul Aziz said today.
The finance minister told Parliament during the tabling of Budget 2022 that these products would be distributed by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) and the Prisons Department.
“It is estimated that 130,000 teenage women from B40 (bottom 40 per cent) households in Malaysia do not have access to hygiene products like sanitary napkins because of financial constraints,” Tengku Zafrul said.
“The aspects of health and personal hygiene of teenage women are very important to reduce any risks to health and dropouts from school.”
He added that reproductive health education and campaigns would continue to be held in schools in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The finance minister said more than RM11 million have been allocated under Budget 2022 to subsidise mammogram screenings for high-risk women, as well as cervical screenings.
