Dear Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, Minister of Health,

In your capacity as a medical doctor, the Minister of Health, a woman, a mother, etc., I assume that you are already aware of the potentially harmful chemicals, “polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAs and forever chemicals, in menstrual products” that are more widely available in Uganda.

I was shocked to learn so from a KCRA 3 post notifying about a new piece of legislation in California, USA. Concerned leaders in California, through the “TAMPON (Take All Menstrual Product PFAs Out Now) Act” are proposing that there should be a “maximum contamination threshold of forever chemicals at 10 parts per million for all menstrual products by 2027.”

Apparently, PFAs “have been linked to severe health problems, including hormone disruption, kidney and liver damage, immune system disruption and, of course, cancer.”

What about us in Uganda, what are the conversations around PFAs in menstrual products that are on the market and are in used by tens of thousands of menstruating girls and women in Uganda?

What protections and legislation are in place in Uganda that are similar to California’s TAMPON Act?

Hon. Minister, you, I and all our fellow Ugandan women in leadership need to have conversations about what materials Ugandan women are using for menstrual hygiene management. We need to establish if those products may have effect on our health and environment and do something about it.

Hon. Minister, I ask you, please take the lead and make it happen. Curve out a space for us, girls and women, in the Ministry of Health and let us talk about our health as it relates to menstruation and menstrual products.

Thank you,