adminAddressing members of the Parliamentary Portfolio committee on Health and Child Welfare who had toured the MCAZ laboratories, director general Mrs Gugu Mahlangu, said the 15 year-old air inflation tester for male condoms being used was reducing the number of condoms being tested daily against surging demand.
According to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey of 2011, the country recorded the highest condom usage in the world over the past five years.
“We are the ones holding back the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council in terms of distribution because of limitation of technology to test the condoms. We need to have more modern technology to push volumes since condom use is the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s HIV control programme,” said Mrs Mahlangu.
She said the MCAZ was testing three batches of condoms against the six to eight batches that can be tested using the new automated set of machinery estimated to cost US$80 000. Mrs Mahlangu said the National Aids Council had promised to consider purchasing a new testing machine next year.
“Condom quality is one of the things as a country we need to ensure,” she said.
Zimbabwe has an estimated 1,3 million people living with HIV and Aids of which 510 000 are on anti-retroviral treatment. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter