Reusable sanitary towels: promoting menstrual hygiene in post-earthquake Nepal.

It is a normal human tendency to 'run for your life' when an earthquake occurs. Adolescent girls and women of reproductive age leave their homes with only the clothes they are wearing to save their own and their families' lives. Immediate disaster relief aid with its (unintentional) lack of gender sensitivity has little or no materials for the appropriate management of menstrual hygiene. The biological needs of disaster-affected women will not change despite the dire need for basic food, shelter and security. Timely identification and preparation beforehand with appropriate and culturally sensitive techniques and locally available materials that are reusable can help introduce sustainable and acceptable means of managing menstrual hygiene in a crisis. The use of reusable sanitary towels is well accepted for menstrual hygiene management in non-disaster situations and is appropriate in post-earthquake relief in Nepal.

Partnering globally and acting locally for infection control in Nepal.

AIMS: To describe the process and outputs of an international collaborative oral health promotion project to develop a national infection control policy and training programme for oral health care workers in the low income country of Nepal between April, 2003 and May, 2004. METHOD: The project process was implemented in phases: 1) extensive review of national and international infection control documents; 2) development of draft infection control policies and protocols; 3) development of instruments to assess knowledge, attitude and behaviour and infection control practices; 4) baseline survey to assess these factors; 5) development of training programmes and training of oral health care providers; 6) revision of infection control policies and protocols, survey questions, assessment instruments, and training programme. OUTPUTS: Project outputs include a national infection control policy and protocols, infection control assessment instruments, infection control training materials and programmes, and oral health care providers trained in infection control. SUMMARY: The results of the project to develop a national infection control policy and training programme for oral health care workers in dental clinics, dental education institutions and the Nepal Primary Health Care System, required the collaboration of policy makers, health professionals, health managers, oral health care providers and educators from the government sector, private sector, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and International Non-Government Organisations (INGOs).