The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has tasked the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Aceng to bring a statement to Parliament next week to respond to concerns by some MPs about small-sized of condoms on Ugandan market.
The matter came up during a plenary session on Friday as members stressed need to educate the public on condom use, ahead of the commemoration of World Condom Day slated for 13th February 2024. Tayebwa however wondered why the day’s commemoration is not given due attention considering the role of condoms in combating HIV/AIDS.
“On a very serious note, protection is one of the preventive measures promoted by Government and I don’t know why colleagues you are laughing, only that it is a day I have never heard of being celebrated. But I think, Parliament is a platform which we use to inform & educate the public about those issues, so Minister, bring a statement on this.” Tayebwa said.
Minister of Health, Jane Aceng confirmed that indeed the National Condoms day exists and the events are held to purposely sensitize the public on the importance of using condoms, and highlight their effectiveness in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDs and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
“The National Condoms day is commemorated annually and it is true that people know about condoms, but many don’t use them for protection, so the day is held as an advocacy to remind people to use condoms for protection. The member is requesting that we bring a paper here, Speaker I will leave that to your discretion,” said Minister Dr. Aceng.
It is not the first time the issue of substandard condoms is being reported on Ugandan market. In 2019, the ministry of health admitted that two batches of expired condoms had been found on Ugandan market. Unfortunately, health experts also observed that majority of men do not check the size of the condoms before use which increases risks of condoms bursting, or slipping off during sexual intercourse.
