Harerimana Alexis, Mchunu Gugu, Pillay Julian David
Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa.
College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
Confl Health. 2025 Mar 27;19(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s13031-025-00657-1.
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) presents a significant public health challenge for refugee women and girls in Africa. Displaced populations often lack access to menstrual products, adequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, as well as comprehensive menstrual health education.
This scoping review aimed to understand the state of MHM, identify key challenges, and evaluate existing interventions among refugee women and girls in Africa.
Employing Levac et al.'s framework, the review analysed evidence from databases like CINAHL, Emcare, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on studies published between 2014 and 2024. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria, and both numerical summaries and descriptive analyses were conducted.
Refugee women and girls often lack access to both disposable and reusable menstrual products, resorting to unhygienic alternatives such as clothing, leaves, and paper. Inadequate WASH facilities restrict safe and private spaces for menstrual management. Cultural stigma and taboos surrounding menstruation contribute to social exclusion and school absenteeism among girls. The interventions included distributing dignity kits, enhancing WASH infrastructure, and providing menstrual health education; however, they were inconsistently implemented due to resource limitations and cultural obstacles.
This study highlights the urgent need for sustainable menstrual health solutions in refugee settings. Without access to necessary products, WASH facilities, and stigma-free education, women and girls risk exclusion, health issues, and interrupted education. Addressing these barriers requires consistent, well-resourced interventions that integrate cultural sensitivity to ensure dignity and long-term impact.
月经卫生管理（MHM）对非洲的难民妇女和女孩构成了重大的公共卫生挑战。流离失所人群往往无法获得经期用品、充足的水、卫生设施和卫生（WASH）基础设施，以及全面的月经健康教育。
本范围综述旨在了解非洲难民妇女和女孩的月经卫生管理状况，确定关键挑战，并评估现有干预措施。
该综述采用了Levac等人的框架，分析了来自CINAHL、Emcare、PubMed、Scopus和Web of Science等数据库的证据，重点关注2014年至2024年发表的研究。16篇文章符合纳入标准，并进行了数值汇总和描述性分析。
难民妇女和女孩往往无法获得一次性和可重复使用的经期用品，只能 resorting to unhygienic alternatives such as clothing, leaves, and paper。WASH设施不足限制了安全和私密的经期管理空间。围绕月经的文化耻辱感和禁忌导致女孩被社会排斥和缺课。干预措施包括分发尊严包、改善WASH基础设施和提供月经健康教育；然而，由于资源限制和文化障碍，这些措施的实施并不一致。
本研究强调了为难民环境提供可持续月经健康解决方案的迫切需求。如果无法获得必要的产品、WASH设施和无耻辱感的教育，妇女和女孩可能面临被排斥、健康问题和教育中断的风险。解决这些障碍需要持续的、资源充足的干预措施，并融入文化敏感性，以确保尊严和长期影响。
