Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
A TOTAL of 15 800 condoms were distributed last week alone to truck drivers, cross-border traders, sex workers and other travellers at Forbes Border Post by the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council, comprising 15 000 for male and 800 for female clients.
The distribution was conducted during a targeted outreach programme in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
ZNFPC provincial marketing and communications officer, Mr Daniel Maromo, said the distribution forms part of an intensified drive to expand access to sexual and reproductive health services among mobile populations considered vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies.
He stressed that the figure represents the number of condoms distributed, and should not be interpreted as the number of people reached during the exercise.
“Last week alone, we distributed approximately 15 000 male condoms and 800 female condoms at Forbes Border Post. However, this does not mean we reached 15 800 individuals because some people collected more than one condom pack,” he said.
The outreach programme operated from two service delivery points — a fuel station near the border and the border post itself — enabling health teams to reach different groups of people moving through the area, adding that demand for services exceeded expectations at both locations.
“We established two service points to maximise our reach, but the turnout was overwhelming. We had large numbers of people seeking services at the fuel station and continued to receive high numbers after relocating to the border post.
“Unfortunately, due to time limitations, we could not attend to everyone who required our services. This clearly demonstrates the growing demand for sexual and reproductive health services in border communities,” said Mr Maromo, adding that limited access to comprehensive family planning services remains one of the major challenges facing people living and working around Forbes Border Post.
He said the availability of condoms remains critical in border communities because they provide dual protection against unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
“Condoms are a necessity in these communities. By making them readily available and ensuring people understand their correct and consistent use, we are helping to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections,” he said, adding that increasing access to reproductive health services in border areas could significantly improve health outcomes among populations that often struggle to access such services.
“Our interventions are aimed at reducing the chances of unintended pregnancies and limiting the spread of sexually transmitted infections. We believe that increased access to services contributes to better health outcomes for individuals and communities,” said Mr Maromo, adding that the initiative forms part of the organisation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that sexual and reproductive health services are accessible to populations that are often excluded from conventional healthcare programmes.
He said border communities present unique public health challenges because of their transient nature and the limited availability of specialised reproductive health services.
“We have identified border communities as critical intervention areas because they are home to highly mobile populations. These include cross-border traders, truck drivers and uniformed personnel who spend long periods away from their families and communities. Such groups require consistent access to family planning services, information and preventive healthcare because mobility often limits their ability to access routine health services,” he said.
Mr Maromo said ZNFPC has been implementing border outreach programmes through two complementary approaches: daytime outreach sessions and night-time engagements known as moonlight dialogues.
The moonlight dialogues are designed to reach individuals who may be unavailable during normal working hours, particularly truck drivers and workers operating around the clock.
“Our approach recognises that not everyone can access health services during the day. The Moonlight Dialogues enable us to interact with truck drivers, cross-border traders and other workers who are more accessible during the evening hours. We are guided by the principle of leaving no one behind. Every individual, regardless of where they live or work, deserves access to quality sexual and reproductive health services,” said Mr Maromo.
He said ZNFPC teams also provided a range of services, including health education, family planning counselling, information dissemination, condom demonstrations and the provision of both short-term and long-term contraceptive methods.
While the Ministry of Health and Child Care operates a clinic at the border, he said some services are not consistently available, creating gaps that outreach programmes seek to fill.
“The MOHCC clinic provides some healthcare services, but access to comprehensive family planning and reproductive health services remains limited. In addition, our partners at IOM do not operate a clinic offering these services. Our outreach activities therefore play an important role in bridging the gap between demand and service availability,” he said.
Although ZNFPC conducts regular visits to Forbes Border Post, Mr Maromo said the organisation is unable to maintain a permanent presence because it also serves other communities with similar needs.
Mr Maromo said the organisation is strengthening collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and IOM to ensure that sexual and reproductive health commodities remain available between outreach visits.
He added that the growing demand for services at Forbes Border Post underscores the need for sustained investment in healthcare interventions targeting mobile populations.
