State in push for condom access to more Kenyans
The government is mulling over a complete paradigm shift in the availability of condoms to members of the public as it solidifies efforts towards the prevention against Sexually Transmitted Infections, adolescent pregnancies and gender-based violence - now dubbed triple threat.
With Kenya, already ranking as a lower middle income country, losing donor rebates and hence decreased subsidies, the government is keen to push condom access by Kenyans more to the private market space. This, according to the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) is aimed at sharing the burden of availing condoms to the public at a cheaper cost.
This would see the private sector being mandated to enter into partnership with the government in the sale and distribution of condoms.
In view of this, and with the demand for the commodity exceeding the supply, there are suggestions to have a total market approach to condoms, a move if adopted, is believed could make an impact. “Make Condoms like any other consumer good in convenient locations,” the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) has proposed in a document seen by the People Daily.
Joab Khasewa, the program officer in charge of HIV Prevention at the NSDCC confirmed yesterday that the move is occasioned by efforts by the government to be self-sustaining but with the help of the private sector. “A total market approach to condoms can help,” the Council suggests further as the Kenya total condom market share shows a dominant public sector free to use condoms accounting for over 84 percent, with a strong social marketing sector at 14 percent of the total market.
According to Khasewa there is an opportunity to strengthen the private sector to bridge the gap in the face of dwindling donor assistance following the country’s growing economic status. “A total market approach is where every segment of the society can access condoms they can afford, including those provided at no cost to members of the public.“Kenya is now a lower middle income country and as donor funding continues to dwindle we have an opportunity to strengthen private sector investment to allow the market share of the socially marketed and commercial sector to grow to ensure a sustainable condom program,” he explained.
The re-energised condom access strategy according to Khasewa is part of a government response in the face of new HIV infections, adolescent pregnancies and gender-based violence- all seen to be on the rise recently.
Commercial sector
Data with the Council shows that the free-to-use condoms such as Sure that are procured through the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) and distributed to the public health facilities, account for 84 percent. On the other hand, the socially marketed condoms such as Trust account for 14 percent and the commercial sector covers less than 2 percent. “So we are asking ourselves, how do we bridge this gap?” Khasewa posed, explaining that the Council mapped all potential condom distribution points in 2019, and identified areas where to install dispensers.
This is in the backdrop of a major national condom inequity with data from the NSDCC showing that 190.1 male condoms were distributed in 2021 against a need of 424 million, and 3million female latex commodities distributed in the same period against a demand of 8.2 million. “There were an estimated 14.3 condoms per man per year against a global target of 40 condoms per man per year in the period under review,” he said of the national condom situation in the country.
The National condom strategy 2018-2023, stresses the need for increasing access to the commodity.
And according to the Council, a total of 17, 854 condom distribution points were identified in 47 counties out of which 84 percent, about 15, 008 were either bars with lodging or without lodging. “Dispensers were accessible in 14 percent of all identified condom distribution points,” the report from the mapping exercise reveals, also showing that 1, 947 condom dispensers have been installed to date in all the 53 Huduma centres.
The report shows that condoms can also be found in tertiary institutions through the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACUs) and Ministries; Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in government.
It also emerges that many users of free condoms are willing to pay for condoms.
In Kenya, among the regular users of free condoms, 53 percent have ever purchased the commodity, while 93 percent are willing to procure the commodity for the lowest commercial brand, 70 percent would seek to purchase if free condoms are not available.
An assessment by the Council shows that Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, have a stronger socially and commercially marketed condoms program than Kenya, hence low cost.
