US supplies Ghana with 20 million condoms to replace Chinese ones

The shortage of condoms on the Ghanaian market has prompted the donation of some 20 million condoms by the United states Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ghana News Agency has reported July 10, 2013.

The supply was to make up for the shortfall the country incurred when Ghanaian authorities recalled about 126 million Chinese-made condoms from the market in April this year because microscopic holes were identified in those condoms.

Officials say, the 20 million condoms have a value of $600,000 and are expected to meet the country’s condom needs for the next six months.

The condoms were handed over to Ghana’s Ministry of Health by USAID Ghana Director Ms Cheryl Anderson on Wednesday July 10, 2013.

According to the GNA report, Health Minister, Ms Sherry Ayittey, confirmed an arrangement to bring in about 8.5 million more condoms by October this year.

She gave the assurance that the donated condoms were World Health Organisation (WHO) certified and meets Ghana’s specification.

According to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), the country made available 481 million condoms for use in 2011.

Dr Richard Amenyah, GAC’s Director of Technical Services, at a three-day media sensitisation workshop in Ho, said condoms stock countrywide should scale to an estimated 521 million by 2015, according to a GNA report in December 2012.

By Ekow Quandzie