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.
