Civil society has called on the government to remove tax on condoms as a measure to ensure availability.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation on Tuesday said currently condom procurement is currently categorised as medical devices and products hence slapped with high taxes including 16 per cent VAT.
“We are urging the policymakers and regulators to categorise condoms as a medical supply so that they can be tax free. This will aid in organisations that are willing to step in and help the country restock can freely do so,” AHF Country Director Samuel Kinyanjui said.
According to Kinyanjui, the cost of providing and distributing condoms is much lower than the cost of treating people with HIV and other STIs.
He noted that statistically with enough condoms, the country will be saved from treating more than 800,000 newly infected persons in the next 10 years.
He also said it will avert up to 5.3 million unplanned pregnancies, 60 per cent of which are teenage.
The civil society noted that despite the government recently procuring 150 million pieces of condoms, this falls far short of a forecasted demand of 262 million for July 2022 to June 2023 financial year.
There is a gap of about 112 million condoms, which translates to a budgetary hole of about Sh38 million, at a unit cost of approximately Sh3.4 per condom.
“Kenya is currently facing a severe shortage of condoms, putting the sexual health and HIV prevention efforts of citizens at risk,” Kinyanjui said.
“Despite being one of the countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the shortage of condoms has made it difficult for individuals to access this crucial form of protection."
The condom shortage has been attributed to supply chain disruptions, increased demand and the rise of counterfeit products.
Equally, the declaration of Kenya as a middle-income country by the World Bank and IMF has seen donors withdraw their much-needed support.
Kenya is among the countries with the highest rates of HIV in the world, with approximately 1.4 million people living with the virus.
In addition, an estimated 51 percent of all new HIV infections in Kenya are among adolescents and youth.
This highlights the ongoing importance of HIV prevention efforts, including the promotion of safe sex practices, especially during this valentine season.
