Condoms shortage bites amid Valentine’s craze
The country is suffering from a severe shortage of condoms exposing the public to the risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV/AIDS, unplanned pregnancies, and other sexually transmitted infections.
According to the National Aids Control Council (NACC), the country’s condom demand is 480 million per year while the current stock is only 79 million.
Speaking at Kenya Coast Polytechnic in Mombasa yesterday to mark World Condoms Day, NACC Coast Region Coordinator Omar Mwanjama said the country is facing a 401 million condom deficit, which has affected free supply of the commodity to the targeted population.
“The country is working on a low supply compared to the demand. The shortage is real and needs to be addressed as it might slow down the gains in the fight against Aids and other STIs,” said Mwanjama.
As per data from the Council released last November, the country’s condom uptake is concerning. The average man uses 20 condoms per year, compared to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target of 40 condoms per year.
The shortage has forced NACC to focus only on those in dire need of the commodity offered free by the government.
“Situation has forced us to focus on only those in dire need, which has raised complaints. The demand shows that a huge population depends on free government condoms,” added Mwanjama.
Mary Nyaguthii, Prevention Programmes Manager at the Aids Healthcare Foundation called on the government to address the shortage, claiming that it is jeopardizing the fight against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Shortage of condoms is a big blow in the fight against HIV/Aids. The government needs to assure Kenyans of enough supplies through partnerships with other health organisations,” said Nyaguthii.
The Council’s most recent data shows that females aged 15 to 24 years have approximately four times the HIV prevalence as males.
According to the data, adolescents and young people account for 61 per cent of all new HIV infections in Kenya.
The program that provides free condoms, which is an important component of Kenya’s HIV prevention campaign, is entirely dependent on donor support to procure the commodities.
The Kenyan government distributes approximately 180 million free condoms per year, with funding from the Global Fund and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The country requires 455 million condoms per year but the government can only provide 1.6 million per month.
Under a program funded by the Global Fund and the UNFPA, approximately 20 million condoms were distributed to Kenyans for free last year.
However, for the past year HIV patients in various groups have been discussing the country’s condom shortage, with some of them distributing what little they have to the community and nearby facilities.
