Myanmar to distribute 10 mil. free condoms

Asian Economic News, August 9, 2004

YANGON, Aug. 4 Kyodo

In a bid to stem HIV transmission though heterosexual contact, Myanmar will distribute 10 million condoms free of charge and 30 million more at affordable prices nationwide this year, National AIDS Program manager Min Thwe said Wednesday.

Heterosexual sex is a major mode of HIV transmission in Myanmar, Min Thwe told Kyodo News in Yangon.

''About 70 percent of AIDS cases in Myanmar is due to heterosexual contact,'' Min Thwe said, adding the rest is caused mainly by injection drug use.

The distribution plan is part of an anti-AIDS campaign to promote 100 percent use of condoms to targeted townships, especially in border areas and strategic towns in central Myanmar.

The campaign started with four townships in 2003 and was expanded to 88 as of June this year. It is slated to cover 100 townships before the end of the year and all 324 townships by the end of 2008.

Min Thwe said the objective of supplying free condoms is to encourage their use so as to promote awareness of their benefits.

''We cannot provide them condoms (free of charge) forever. Our aim is to create awareness of the benefits (of using condoms) so that people will buy them themselves in the future,'' Min Thwe said. The NAP is expected to distribute condoms free of charge for five years, he said.

Min Thwe also said that apart from supplying 10 million condoms free of charge, the NAP will distribute 30 million more at affordable prices to targeted townships.

The government estimates that there are 180,000 people living with HIV/AIDS among the population of 53 million.

But UNAIDS country coordinator Eamonn Murphy last month said up to 620,000 people aged 15 to 49 were believed to be infected with HIV in Myanmar.