Condom gap in Africa: evidence from donor agencies and key informants.

We obtained data from UNFPA (the United Nations agency responsible for providing condoms) on condoms paid for by donors and further refined it with information from United States Agency for International Development’s commodity tracking system. We also sought data from about 12 key informants knowledgeable on condom provision in Africa. Provision of condoms by donors remained surprisingly constant (400-500 million per year) over the past five years. The numbers fell from just over 600 million in 1995 to about 340 million in 1998 before rising again to just over 500 million in 1999. In addition, by 1999 roughly 210 million condoms were purchased by countries’ own funds. This amounts to a total of about 724 million condoms or only 4.6 condoms per man aged 15-59 years in sub-Saharan Africa. Level of provision varied widely. Provision in the six countries with highest levels (Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Togo, Congo, and Kenya) averaged about 17 condoms per man aged 15-59. If that level of provision were replicated for all 156 million sub-Saharan African men, annual provision would be 2.65 billion. This corresponds to a “condom gap” of roughly 1.9 billion a year (figure).