The world will soon face another potential health crisis. Condoms will be in short supply
The coronavirus pandemic is undeniably affecting people's behaviour. So one would guess that the demand for condoms is enormous, which is why it will be impossible to satisfy it. However, this is only partly true. "The 'condom business' is concentrated in Asia and specifically in China. And production there has stopped for quite a substantial period...
Yes, demand for condoms has indeed increased across the board (many people have a time when they don't know what to conceive, but don't want to conceive right now...), but most of the world's condom production is concentrated in Asia. However, factories there have been closed due to the coronavirus. China was the first to suspend production, followed by Malaysia, India and Thailand. According to the world's largest condom producer, it will be very difficult to get factories up and running to meet current demand. Although the outage lasted for 10 days, in practical terms it will mean that the market will be short of up to 200 million condoms. While both the Chinese and Malaysian factories have already restarted production, they are operating in a limited mode - for example, with only half the staff. However, the problem will not only be that people will not be able to enjoy the limitless...
"It will take some time before we can get the whole business up and running. Still, even with half the production capacity, we will try to keep up with demand," said Gof Miat Kiat, head of Karex, which is the world's largest condom manufacturer and produces a full fifth of the world's condoms, including those under the Durex brand. However, in Gof Miat Kiat's view, it is already clear that there will be a global shortage of condoms.
"I am concerned that, for example, with many humanitarian programmes in Africa, we will not be able to meet the needs," he said, adding that the condom shortage will not only be short-term in the order of weeks, but could last for months, not only because of the lack of the commodity itself, but also because distribution channels are now limited. All of this, however, could add up to another crisis, particularly in African countries, with the spread of dangerous STDs (and that is leaving aside unwanted population growth).
So, while people around the world are now battling the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus, the massive spread of HIV/AIDS is also a lived reality in many countries. It is there that condoms are a necessity. The World Health Organisation agrees, and says that condoms are an essential product for global health. According to the United Nations, a shortfall in production would have "devastating consequences": "A shortage of condoms or any contraceptive could lead to an increase in unintended pregnancies, which could have devastating health and social consequences, particularly in the poorest countries, which are the most vulnerable. There could also be an increase in unsafe abortions and an increased risk of the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV," said a spokesperson for the UN Population Fund.
As a result, other condom manufacturers are already beginning to consider how to make up the shortfall. Not only by increasing production, which is all the more difficult in this situation, but also by increasing exports.
