By Yunus, Olawale
Every 18th of October in a year has been declared for the celebration of Menopause Day by the United Nations. With this declaration and dedication of this date to the celebration, the Serifat Ajala Abiyamo Foundation (SAAF), a non-governmental organization in Abuja, has deemed it fit to celebrate the day by raising awareness among the public about the conditions and symptoms of menopause in which every potential woman must experience in her lifetime. Thus, it is an event to be talking about and every soul must have knowledge about it especially, woman, her husband, children and her environment.
Menopause is a period in a woman lifetime that marks the end of menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is the natural changes that do occur in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that makes the feasibility of pregnancy. Hence, at a certain stage/age in a woman life these changes will stop and make a woman impossible to get pregnant.
The President of the Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of Oladele Construction Company, Alhaji Ishaq Oladele said that the celebration of Menopause Day was necessary because it would create awareness about the happens of menopause and its symptoms which has claimed a lot of women’s life as a result of lack of information or disinformation of it. It is therefore high time to educate and enlighten our women about its occurrence, which can never be prevented.
He said, “enough is enough, we don’t want to lose our sisters, mothers, wives anymore and that is why the campaign being champion by the SAAF. Menopause comes with a lot of symptoms, challenges, etc., few of it are loss of appetites, fatigue, pains, and so many internal heat generation.”
Oladele said that the awareness had started since last year by the foundation and it has been advocating to the general public particularly in the realm of females (adult women, middle-age women, girls etc.) and it is set to continue the awareness to every part of the country in particular and the world in general. He also stated that on 21st of October, 2023, the Foundation would be at National Hospital, Abuja to campaign, educate and distribute free drugs and medical check-ups by the experts to the public, and finally said that everyone should be informed to attend the campaign and benefit from the Foundation.
The menopause stage has many symptoms among are hot flashes, cold flashes, mood swings, hair loss, lack of focus, depression, irritability, night sweat, dry vagina, low sex drive, heart palpitation, fatigue, chronic bad breath, osteoporosis, bleeding gums, ringing ears (tinnitus), changed body odour, sore breasts, allergies worsening, and tense muscles, to mention but a few. Although women are not expected to experience every symptom, it depends on the nature of the body.
The matron of the Foundation and medical doctor at the National Hospital Abuja, Hajia Fatimoh Zakariyah, said that the menopausal stage is a must for every woman, and it has three stages. Premature stage is 40 year, early stage is 40 – 45 and actual stage is 45 to 50 and above. She urged every woman to cultivate a good habit of eating and should be eating less carbohydrate when reaching the age of 40, thereby eating more vegetables, fruits, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Everyone above forty years old should not eat eggs more than twice a week and consumption of fried foods should be minimal. Therefore, if a woman is conscious of what she eats above forty, her menopause stage experience would be mild and every husband should understand this stage of their women because, at this stage in a woman, every little thing would get her aggressive and irritated.
The dignitaries at the press briefing were Alhaji Jamiu Zakariyah, Mallam Ibrahim Idris, Alhaji Ajani Abdurrazaq, the incoming Amir of Abuja Muslim Forum, Hajia Ajani Abdurrazaq, the Coordinator of Halaal Orphanage Home in FCT, Mrs Ajala and others.