• Ministry exploring tax-free products

The Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) claimed that females and schoolgirls across Sri Lanka are facing increasing difficulty in accessing sanitary products due to rising prices, which it claimed are among the highest in Asia when affordability is taken into account.MCPA President Dr  Chamal Sanjeewa said that the cost of sanitary pads has increased sharply in recent years because of currency fluctuations, taxation, and rising production and import costs.

He noted that a packet of sanitary pads that previously cost around Rs  140 now sells for between Rs  260 and Rs  500, with some imported and branded products priced even higher.Dr  Sanjeewa said that the issue was not simply the market price of sanitary products but their affordability relative to household income. “For many low-income families, monthly spending on sanitary products represents a noticeable share of household earnings.” He warned that the financial strain was having wider social consequences, with reports indicating that some rural women and schoolgirls miss work or school during menstruation because they cannot afford sanitary products. “This is not just a consumer issue. It is a broader social and economic concern,” he said, calling for a national discussion on menstrual hygiene costs and related policy gaps.However, informed health sources noted that although the Ministry of Health has worked with organisations such as United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the education sector on menstrual hygiene education and awareness programmes, there has been little effort to influence taxation policies relating to products that are considered essential for females’ health and hygiene.

Attempts to contact the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr  Hansaka Wijemuni for comment were unsuccessful.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs stated that it was holding discussions with relevant stakeholders on introducing tax-free sanitary products in an effort to reduce costs for females and girls. Speaking to The Daily Morning, Ministry Secretary Tharangani Wickramasinghe said that discussions were still ongoing and that approvals from several parties would be required before any policy changes could be implemented. “We are yet to receive the approval of some stakeholders, and there are others with whom discussions have not yet taken place.”