Concerned that some condom makers are dumping their substandard items in the market posing threat to the gains made so far to its anti-AIDS programme, the Union Health Ministry has decided to conduct audit of the condoms at the national level to determine their quality.
Sources in the Ministry said that National AIDS Control Organisation’s move follows observations that high trade margin condoms reaching near expiry are available in market. The Government also fears that poor quality wares would also severely hamper its family planning programme which in turn would upside down many of its health schemes launched across the country.
The concern is not without reason, given that as many as 350 brands/variants are available in the market. “Many new brands have been introduced in the market during last three years. Hence, it has become very important to carry out quality audit nationally for different condom brands in order to determine the quality of condoms available at retail outlet for end users,” said a senior official from NACO.
“The success of condom promotion to prevent HIV/AIDS, STIs and unwanted pregnancy hinges directly on quality of condoms and therefore it is critical to know about the quality of condoms that are available in market,” he said. Presently, other than the free distribution via public health systems, social marketing condoms (GOI subsidised brands) and commercial condoms are being marketed through traditional (chemist) and non-traditional (other than chemist) outlets.
The official said it has been frequently observed that while the leading condom manufacturers in India are follow standards conforming to Schedule R or WHO specifications, the quality of condoms available at retail outlets especially at the non-traditional outlets (NTO’s) remain a matter of concern. He explained, “this is due to the availability of spurious condoms which is repacked without labels passing, through improper storage within the supply chain.”
The proposed study holds importance given that though, new HIV cases among adults have declined by half in India since 2000, according to a new UN report in 2012, the threat remains given that atleast 1,000 new infections among adults continue to be reported in Asia every day in 2011. Moreover, population which is bursting at the seams continue to be a burden on the resources in the country.