Health and Social Welfare Minister Dr Haji Mponda (holding a microphone) engaging in a
discussion with Dodoma Regional Manager, Kenneth Gondwe, at the PSI pavilion in the ongoing
Nanenane exhibition. PSI products and services have been one of the main attractions
in the annual exhibition attracting hundreds of visitors each day.
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Minister urges PSI to increase condom reach to villages
Dodoma August 3rd, 2011 … EVEN as PSI hits the unprecedented half a billion figure of condoms distributed since the year 2000, the call for increased delivery of this lifesaving product to rural areas still continues unabated, this time Health Minister Dr Haji Mponda adding his voice.
“I salute PSI for doing such a wonderful work in the distribution of condoms but I must also point out that there is more that need to be done to make the condoms more available in the rural areas," said Dr Mponda during his tour to the ongoing Nanenane exhibition in Dodoma.
The Minister was met at the pavilion by Regional Manager Kenneth Gondwe who briefed him on innovative ways that PSI is using to increase condom availability such as the use of sms based technology to monitor distribution, repackage of male condoms and the total market approach that provides for creation of strategic partnerships among key players in the sector to scale up condom distribution.
“The sms technology, honourable minister, enables us (PSI) to know in real time when a dispenser of Salama condom is opened at a particular ward in a district while giving us an indication of wards that are in short supply of the product," Kenneth told Dr Mponda.
The voice of the minister on low condom distribution to villages in Tanzania comes shortly after similar sentiments were expressed in parliament when debating the budget speech of the ministry of health and social welfare.
Most parliamentarians decried the scarcity of male condoms with some claiming to know of incidents where people had resorted to repeated use or sharing of condoms.
Statistical evidence attest to this perceived shortage where for instance PSI’s Measuring Access and Performance (MAP) survey in 2010 placed condom penetration (% of outlets stocking PSI condoms) in rural areas at a marginal 48% up from 36% in 2006.