Condom crunch hits city, thanks to cut in budget

Ahmedabad Mirror: Ahmedabad: Friday, 29 May 2015.

Ahmedabad has been grappling with condom crunch as the distribution is down by 44 per cent, revealed AMC's Aids Control Society (AMCACS) in response to an RTI plea filed by Mirror. The supply has been majorly hit across the country after NDA government slashed its budget for department of AIDS control by 22 per cent. In 2013, about 58,22,800 condoms were distributed that dipped to 32,04,206 in 2014. National Aids Control Organization (NACO) is the agency that distributes free condoms at Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres across the state.

"Health department has cut down the budget that has led to the shortage of condoms. It has affected two essential health programmes sexually transmitted disease control and family planning. AMCACS is short of Rs 5 crore to meet the demand of condoms in the city," said a senior officer from AMCACS. An HIV positive woman, who lost her husband to the disease and now work for HIV positive people, said: "These free condoms are provided by NACO to most vulnerable groups which can't afford to buy them. The cut in the distribution raises infection scare and people like me will be the worst hit."

The interrupted supply has affected condoms distribution in the city. Daksha Patel of Gujarat State Network for People living with HIV/AIDS said: "All states across the country have been facing the crunch. According to NACO, it is imperative to provide condom regularly to High Risk Groups (HRGs) and discontinuation can further aggravate the situation." According to data provided by NACO under RTI, Gujarat is the fifth state in India with highest number of the HIV infected and the cases have doubled in last few years.

According to a source, Union Health Secretary B P Sharma chaired a meeting two weeks ago wherein health officials discussed measures to tackle shortage of condoms. "There are plans to divert some money from other projects to procure condoms to make up for the shortage. Health department is planning to cut the aid provided for research work related to AIDS," said a officer. Talking to Mirror, Gaurav Jain, who leads the technical support group on condom promotion at NACO, said: "The usage of condom has doubled in the state in the past five years. Fall in free distribution of condoms doesn't mean people are not using it. But it means that people are shifting from free to paid condoms."

This shortage of condom will not only affect AIDS programme but will led to crisis in family planning. "Condoms are among the frontline prevention tools for prevention of HIV and also help in family planning. What is the point of counselling people to have safe sex if we can't provide them condoms. It is a futile activity," said sociologist Gaurang Jani who works for HIV-infected people.