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Government to distribute condoms across the country
Last year, statistics from Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) showed condom use continuously declining from 38 per cent in 2000 to 24 per cent in 2018. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health Minister, while receiving the condoms at the Ministry headquarters yesterday, said the government is working to solve the distribution challenges and avail the commodities to the people.
The national coordinator of the condoms desk in the Health ministry, Ms Vastha Kibirige, has said the government has procured 500 million condoms to address stockout issues.
The country continues to grapple with maintaining adequate stock and distribution of high-quality condoms and other family planning commodities to the population.
Last year, statistics from Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) showed condom use continuously declining from 38 per cent in 2000 to 24 per cent in 2018.
Medical experts fear that Covid-19 disruption to the supply chain and service provision could lead to a further decline in the use of condoms and family planning commodities.
“We have procured more than 500 million condoms for Ugandans and they will have all been delivered by end of the year. So we need to re-educate them on how to use them correctly,” Ms Kibirge said.
The condoms procured are for both men and women and around 100 million of them have already been delivered, according to the national coordinator.
Ms Kibirge made the comments while commenting on the donation of an additional one million high-quality condoms that were donated yesterday to the Health ministry by a condoms manufacturing firm, DKT through a distribution agency, Dembe.
Mr Anil Damani, the central executive officer for Dembe, said the donation boosts the country healthcare response to other prevailing issues like HIV and unplanned pregnancies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“You need to tickle them (community) again. Our social market has gone commercial but the demand side has relaxed a bit and we want to revive that,” Ms Kibirige said.
“People need to know that they should use condoms, especially the young people. They need to understand that they should not go into a sexual relationship unless they are protected [have condoms]” she added.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health Minister, while receiving the condoms at the Ministry headquarters yesterday, said the government is working to solve the distribution challenges and avail the commodities to the people.
According to Ms Kibirge, the government has erected many dispensers for condoms in different towns across the nation.
“The next step is to put those dispensers in rural areas. We have realised that people fear to get condoms from individuals so we are using the dispensers and ensuring that they are refilled frequently,” Kibirge said.
