Transforming adolescent menstrual health through policy: the role of value added tax exemptions in improving access to sanitary products.

In Namibia, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Amendment Act 2022, which reclassified the supply of sanitary pads as zero-rated, has significant implications for adolescent girls' menstrual health and education. The policy change responds to the need to address period poverty by making essential menstrual products more accessible and affordable. Menstruation is a normal biological process, and access to sanitary products is a human right. Taxing menstrual products reinforces gender inequalities and raises concerns about the basic rights and dignity of women and girls. The VAT-free policy creates a system to reduce the financial burden on girls and women, making it easier for them to manage their periods safely and with dignity. It has the potential to reduce absenteeism from school, ultimately improving educational outcomes for adolescent girls. However, VAT exemptions alone are insufficient to address the broader accessibility issues that impact menstrual hygiene. Evidence-based policies that focus on the availability and affordability of a full range of sanitary products, in conjunction with regulatory mechanisms for price and quality control, are necessary to ensure that menstrual products are safe, affordable, and accessible for all.

The calculated responses against COVID-19 in Namibia.

COVID-19 has spread to many countries and infected a vast number of people around the world. Namibia is not spared from this disease. On the early days of the pandemic in Namibia, the government instituted a four-stage strategy--from a full lockdown in Stage One with gradual relaxation of restrictions in Stage Two and ending with Stage Four. This was proven to be effective since the number of daily new cases were minimal by the time the restrictions were lifted in Stage Four, which allowed many non-essential businesses to resume, and borders to reopen. However, following this, the cases jumped in an alarming pace. The situation was also exacerbated partly by obliviousness of the people to restrictions due to their economic issues. At present, the government struggles to bring the situation back under control. Thus, the government reintroduced new restrictions to mitigate the situation. The country is facing paucity of facilities like personal protective equipment (PPE), health workers, intensive care unit (ICU) equipment and testing kits. To avoid further explosion of cases, Namibia needs to determine relaxation of restrictions based on the indicators of the situation of COVID-19. Assistance to the population and addressing insufficiency of facilities by the government through innovative solutions are of utmost importance in tussling the virus.