The Female Health Company today announced that it received an order from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for one million Female Condoms for the Ministry of Health in Ghana, a country of 20 million people in West Africa.
The Ministry of Health of Ghana launched the female condom in May 2000 after extensive strategic planning with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ghana Social Marketing Foundation, the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) and the Female Health Company. The project has been guided by the new UNAIDS/World Health Organization (WHO) publication, ``The Female Condom: A Guide for Planning and Programming.'' The order doubles last years purchase.
``The Female Condom project in Ghana is a superb example of a true partnership between a national government, UN agencies, local non-governmental organizations and a product manufacturer working together to deliver HIV/AIDS prevention options to women and men. We believe that this experience can serve as a model for other countries not only to distribute the female condom but to plan strategically for more comprehensive AIDS prevention programs that include prevention, care and treatment,'' said Dr. Mary Ann Leeper, president of the Female Health Company.
``As the global discussions focus on drug treatments and vaccines, infection rates continue to rise. We must not ignore significant tools for primary prevention that are today's best hope of reversing the rising tide of infection. The work in Ghana as in many other countries of sub-Saharan Africa show that women (and men) made aware of the Female Condom's protective potential, cry out for a method like this that they can control and use themselves. This is especially crucial when the increase in infection rates disproportionately affects young women in their 20s,'' said Dr. Leeper. ``It is increasingly clear that a comprehensive AIDS programs must combine accessible drug treatments with a strong prevention program including both male and female condoms.''
The active participation of the Ghana Chapter of SWAA has played a particularly important role in helping to mobilize local women's organizations and community groups to educate about the importance of safer sex generally. SWAA and FHC are co-sponsoring a workshop to explore the lessons learned in Ghana, Senegal and elsewhere at SWAA's bi-annual conference scheduled to take place in Uganda from April 2 to 6.
``We are eager to share our experiences and assist other programs benefit from our own experiences in launching and introducing the Female Condom,'' said Alice Sena Lamptey, the SWAA-Ghana coordinator. ``Demand for the Female Condom among both women and men continues to be incredibly strong, and we are particularly excited the young women are responding to our prevention message.''
Ghana is one of the initial countries to participate in the United Nation's International Partnership against AIDS in Africa (IPAA). IPAA is a coalition of African countries, the United Nations, donor organizations, private companies and community representatives, who have chosen to work together to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, reduce its impact on human suffering and halt the further decline of human, social and economic development that HIV/AIDS is causing.
``We continue to work closely with the project partners in Ghana and elsewhere to assist in developing the best possible comprehensive AIDS program as part of the IPAA,'' said Dr. Leeper.
UNAIDS supported studies show that when the Female Condom is available as an option, there is a significant reduction in the incidence of sexually transmitted disease (STD) compared to when only the male condom is available. Additional research, recently published, highlights that incorporating the Female Condom into prevention programs can be cost saving as it reduces the number of unprotected sexual acts, the incidence of STDs, and the costs related to treatment and care.
The Female Condom is the only product controlled by women that helps to prevent STDs, including HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy. The Female Condom is made of polyurethane, which is strong and unlikely to rip or tear during use and unlikely to cause allergic reactions. It is manufactured in a state of the art facility in London, England.
The Female Health Company, based in Chicago, owns certain worldwide rights to The Female Condom(TM), including patents that have been issued in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, The People's Republic of China, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and Australia.
