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HEALTH: Namibia Joins the League of Condom Producers in Africa
By Rosemary Nalisa
WINDHOEK, Nov 15 (IPS) - Namibia has become the second country in Africa -
after South Africa - to start producing condoms to reduce the incidence of
HIV/AIDS, devastating the continent.
A Namibian-owned firm, Commodity Exchange, says it aims to make the
condoms available at an affordable price.
Sabina Maritz, the director of the company, says Botswana, Zimbabwe and
Zambia have indicated interests to buy condoms directly from Commodity
Exchange. But, she says the firm, which began operating on Nov 7, will first
work towards satisfying the local market before starting marketing the
product outside the southern African country.
''We are fully committed towards ensuring consistent quality in our
condoms. Our mature production techniques and stringent quality control
procedures, not only help contribute towards making our products to meet
international standards, but surpassing them as well,'' says Maritz.
Health workers say the only way to protect people from contracting
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases is through condom use. The
debate about the use of condom is a very sensitive one, especially in
traditional African societies where cultural values and norms prevent open
discussion about sexual issues.
In Namibia, for example, talking about sexuality or sexual intercourse is
taboo. Parents do not discuss it with their children; teachers do not teach
students about it; religious leaders do not talk about it to their
congregations; and wives and husbands do not discuss it.
The company, based in the capital Windhoek, is the third in Africa. The
other two are based in South Africa. The Commodity Exchange opened its
offices in Namibia in 1994 as a sales outlet for South African condom
manufacturers.
Currently the factory sells condoms at 12 U.S. cents for a packet of
three, but the firm's management expects the price to fluctuate due to
foreign exchange rates, as most of the raw material is imported from
overseas. Other condom brands available at pharmacies cost between one and
two U.S. dollars. Cheaper brands, which are mostly from South Africa, cost
about 30 U.S. cents in shops, bars and recreation clubs.
Apart from manufacturing condoms, the factory is also involved in the
distribution of latex surgical gloves used by doctors and nurses in wards
and operating theatres to protect them from contracting diseases after being
exposed to blood and touching patients who might have infectious diseases.
Family members looking after patients also sometimes use surgical gloves
to protect their hands from coming into contact with germs from diseases
affecting the patients.
The company will produce 15 million condoms and gloves annually. Its
management says the condoms are produced in line with the South African
Bureau of Standards (SABS), while the techniques used in manufacturing them
are from Malaysia.
The condoms undergo rigorous testing, using an electronic machine with
high voltage, to determine the possibility of leakage. The plant has an
International Standard Quality Control and Assurance Laboratory to monitor
the quality of the products and ensure production of high-quality products.
An inflation test is also being conducted on the condoms to determine the
degree of deterioration for condoms that have been in storage. Samples of
condoms are placed on air tubes and secured, then air is inflated into the
condoms. Measuring the bursting volume and the pressure determines its
overall strength. The company also does a water leakage test on the condoms,
whereby they are filled with water for one minute, while the condom wall is
being inspected for leakage. The condoms, being manufactured, are 180
millimetres in length.
A package Seal Machine is used for packaging designed to meet the
standard requirements of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Maritz says the plant will be a major boost to Namibia's response to
HIV/AIDS and will compliment the government's goal to reduce the incidence
of HIV/AIDS to below epidemic level. (The ministry of health regards the
infection rate of 22 percent, out of a population of 1.8 million, as an
epidemic.) Health authorities feel that the HIV prevalence needs to be
brought down to a manageable level of about 10 percent, to prevent Namibia
from having to deal with a high-mortality rate.
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Libertine Amathila, says
the establishment of a condom factory in Namibia is a milestone in the
country's response to HIV/AIDS. She says it is a sense of pride to note that
Namibia is only the second country in Africa, after South Africa, to have a
condom factory.
‘'The objective of the Namibian government is to increase accessibility,
affordability, availability and use of both male and female condoms
countrywide,'' says Amathila.
She says the government plans to target high-risk groups such as the
youth, women, the police and the army to reduce the level of HIV/AIDS
transmission. ‘'Carefully planned and targeted behavioural change programmes
will be provided to re-enforce information given on HIV/AIDS transmission
and prevention as well as the consistent use of condoms,'' says Amathila.
The last Demographic Health Survey carried in Namibia in 2000, shows that
consistent use of either male or female condoms among women between the ages
of 15 and 49, was 8.9 percent.
Health authorities say the figure is too low compared to the number of
people infected with HIV in Namibia and the extensive campaigns that are
being carried out on condom use and their ability to prevent sexually
transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.
Namibia is rated among the Sub-Saharan African countries with the highest
HIV/AIDS infections. It has 230,000 HIV-positive people out of a population
of 1.8 million, while more than 30,000 died last year alone from
AIDS-related diseases. Life expectancy in Namibia also has dropped from 60
years in 1991 to 42 in 2002.
The ministry of health and non-governmental organisation distribute
around 20 million male condoms per year. The number will be increased by 30
percent in future with the availability of condoms from the new company.
There are already 20 condom brands in the country to give people a wider
choice. But Amathila says, while it is good to have a variety of condom
brands, it can also create confusion among the users.
As part of the global initiative to scale up intervention that could
prevent new HIV infections, Namibia is involved in broad strategies such as
mass media campaigns, public sector condom promotion, distribution and
marketing.
Other strategies include voluntary counselling and testing, prevention of
parent-to-child transmission, school based and out of school youth
programmes, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and peer counselling
for commercial sex workers.
Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the worst affected region in the world. The
estimated 3.4 million new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa in 2001 mean
that 28.1 million Africans now live with the virus, according to UNAIDS.
The UN agency estimated that 2.3 million Africans died of AIDS in
2001. (END/2002)
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