Condoms shortage hits Kisumu County

Kisumu County has a shortage of Condoms. According to Civil Society Organizations in Kisumu county and county government officials whose names I won’t disclose for fear of losing their jobs, Kisumu public health facilities are not equipped with enough free government condoms.

Sex workers, higher learning institutions and young people have been hit hardest by this shortage. Majority of Kisumu population rely on the free government condoms more so young people between the ages of 15 to 24 years. With the high rates of poverty in the region, majority of the population cannot afford to buy condoms from the store, shops, chemist or supermarkets on a daily basis because they are too expensive. Those who cannot access these condoms are now engaging in unprotected sex making them vulnerable to HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections. Others have been forced to recycle condoms just to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Considering that Kisumu County is among the counties with high HIV prevalence, this would be a major setback considering the gains it has made in the fight against HIV.

I am calling upon the county government of Kisumu and the national government to look into this matter before things gets out of control. For Kisumu to achieve its 2017 target, which is to reduce new HIV infections among the adolescent and young people between the ages of 15 to 24 years by 40%, it must invest more on quality HIV sexual and reproductive health services and information among young people more so condoms and comprehensive knowledge on condom use since incorrect condom use is one of the causes of new HIV infection among the adolescents and young people in Kisumu County.