Brighton Chiseva
MASVINGO –
The Minstry of Health and Child Care has heeded calls to rebrand the publicly-available
Panther condom which is distributed by the Zimbabwe National Family Planning
Council (ZNFPC).
The Minstry of Health and Child Care has heeded calls to rebrand the publicly-available
Panther condom which is distributed by the Zimbabwe National Family Planning
Council (ZNFPC).
The
condom, which is popularly known as ‘MaDembare’ because of its blue and white
package synonymous to Dynamos Football Club, has been criticized by many people
who used it saying it was too plain and unappealing.
condom, which is popularly known as ‘MaDembare’ because of its blue and white
package synonymous to Dynamos Football Club, has been criticized by many people
who used it saying it was too plain and unappealing.
Others
claim that the condoms do not have the comfort accorded by other condom brands
which are sold in retail stores.
claim that the condoms do not have the comfort accorded by other condom brands
which are sold in retail stores.
ZNFPC
Masvingo provincial manager Abyssinia Vhoko said the issue of rebranding was
highlighted by the youths and other stakeholders including Sex Worker Advocacy
Group (SWAG) who said men despised the freely distributed condom.
Masvingo provincial manager Abyssinia Vhoko said the issue of rebranding was
highlighted by the youths and other stakeholders including Sex Worker Advocacy
Group (SWAG) who said men despised the freely distributed condom.
Vhoko
said the Panther condom was going to be replaced by a blue and gold strip,
adding that the replacement will be a gradual process to ensure a smooth
transition and giving the consumers a choice.
said the Panther condom was going to be replaced by a blue and gold strip,
adding that the replacement will be a gradual process to ensure a smooth
transition and giving the consumers a choice.
“Programming
is all about interfacing with consumer needs so moving forward we anticipate
our consumers to continue practicing safer sex and condom use.
is all about interfacing with consumer needs so moving forward we anticipate
our consumers to continue practicing safer sex and condom use.
“Our
main objective is to increase the provincial per capita condom rate from the
current 7.5 percent to 12 and the mosaic nature of our province makes it
important to ensure that quality and free condoms are available and accessible
because of the high volumes of students and young people,” said Vhoko.
main objective is to increase the provincial per capita condom rate from the
current 7.5 percent to 12 and the mosaic nature of our province makes it
important to ensure that quality and free condoms are available and accessible
because of the high volumes of students and young people,” said Vhoko.
Per
capita condom rate is the number of condoms at the disposal to an individual
who is sexually active to use per year.
capita condom rate is the number of condoms at the disposal to an individual
who is sexually active to use per year.
Condoms
offer dual protection against the risk of unintended pregnancy and the
transmission of HIV and other STIs between partners.
offer dual protection against the risk of unintended pregnancy and the
transmission of HIV and other STIs between partners.
SWAG
had earlier urged authorities to rebrand the condom brand and add more
lubrication to improve its appeal and strength.
had earlier urged authorities to rebrand the condom brand and add more
lubrication to improve its appeal and strength.
Statistics
show that Zimbabwe is one of the countries with high condom use in Africa and
the world but many people look down upon freely-distributed condoms which they
regard as of poor quality.
show that Zimbabwe is one of the countries with high condom use in Africa and
the world but many people look down upon freely-distributed condoms which they
regard as of poor quality.
