UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, was recently mentioned in some Ugandan media in relation to male latex condoms procured and supplied to the Government. We would therefore like to state the facts.
Condoms procured by UNFPA are manufactured in strict compliance with international standards. They are supplied by manufacturers that are pre-qualified, using the stringent WHO/UNFPA Specification and Prequalification Guidelines. The pre-qualification process is a very detailed and thorough process that assesses product quality, starting with the source and the quality of raw material (latex) and ending with the production process through factory inspection and product-testing.
Therefore, all condom batches procured by UNFPA meet WHO and ISO4074 requirements and standards. And before shipment, each batch is tested at independent ISO 17025-certified laboratories. UNFPA has condoms shipped only from prequalified factories and which have passed pre-shipment testing.
UNFPA has run the pre-qualification programme and associated pre-shipment testing since 2005, and all condoms imported into Uganda have passed through this rigorous testing programme.
Once they are cleared by national customs, condoms are handed to the Ministry of Health. Since 2006, Ugandan regulations have required that shipments of condoms to Uganda be subjected to yet another inspection and testing, namely post-shipment testing. UNFPA confirms that all of the condoms it has supplied have gone through this requested process.
UNFPA places great value on the quality of reproductive health commodities, including condoms. In this regard, and as stated before, quality is controlled vigorously by UNFPA at different steps of the procurement-distribution processes.
Contraceptives users, including users of latex male condoms procured by UNFPA, should be confident that the condoms supplied are safe and have passed a series of safety, quality-control and testing measures.
