Speaking during
a recent parliamentary debate on HIV prevention strategies, Dr Kwidini
expressed concern over the low uptake of free condoms provided by the Ministry
of Health, citing stigma, poor quality perceptions, and preference for
privately marketed alternatives.
“The reality on
the ground is not about the shortage of condoms. It is the mindset of our population to use
the condoms which are being provided by the Ministry. Sometimes they give it a different name,
which people are not confident to use because maybe, I do not understand their
reasons,” Dr Kwidini said.
“They now
favour the ones which are flavoured, which have a variety of colours, which are
provided by the private players. With
that, it is now a challenge to the Ministry.
“We accept and
we also want to make sure, where we procure, the ones we used to supply us,
they call them ‘zvikiti’, are no longer socially acceptable to our users. Therefore, we want to make sure we rebrand so
that they are socially acceptable, like the ones provided by the private
players.”
Condoms remain
Zimbabwe’s most accessible and widely used HIV prevention method. However, the
growing rejection of public supply in favour of pricier private brands such as
Protector Plus and Carex, which retail for between US$15 and US$18 per box,
poses serious public health concerns, particularly for low-income communities.
Dr Kwidini
warned that the situation could undermine Zimbabwe’s progress toward the UNAIDS
90-90-90 targets, which seek to ensure 90% of people living with HIV know their
status, 90% of those diagnosed receive antiretroviral treatment, and 90% of
those treated achieve viral suppression.
“We have enough
condoms in our institutions, but this stigmatisation is what is increasing new
infections,” he said. “You find some using them to manufacture cobra [a local
illicit brew], others for different purposes entirely.”
Condom
distribution in Zimbabwe is largely handled by the Zimbabwe National Family
Planning Council and outreach teams. Despite this, a growing number of condoms
are reportedly being repurposed or discarded due to negative perceptions.
A recent
population-based survey titled “Awareness, access to and uptake of HIV
prevention interventions among youth in Zimbabwe” published by BMC Infectious
Diseases in May 2025,
(https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-025-11076-1)
highlights that part of the reasons that hinder young people from using condoms
are embarrassment to ask for them and lack of privacy at facilities where they
are offered for free. CITE
0 comments:
Post a Comment