Concerns over faulty condoms
2004-10-15 10:41
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Accra - A survey conducted by Ghana's Food and Drugs Board (FDB) revealed that one quarter of the condoms imported into the country were faulty, raising health concerns on Thursday.
The study showed that of the 25 brands on the market, 24% of condoms had holes or were in poor conditions due to improper storage and failed to conform to the International Standard Order (ISO), the Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported on Thursday.
The findings have raised concerns about the spread of HIV/Aids, as the Ghana Aids Commission has emphasised condom use as an important element to reduce transmission of the disease.
The Reverend Jonathan Martey, head of the board's Quality Control Laboratory, said that the safety of condoms must not be compromised in the face of HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted infections.
Condoms need testing
There is therefore the need to be vigilant on the importation of sub-standard medical devices.
"It is for these reasons that the FDB has secured an ultra-modern quality-testing laboratory to ensure that all brands of condoms are sampled and tested ... before they are released unto the Ghanaian market," Martey said.
He said that the $200 000 laboratory, the first of its kind in West Africa, now enables the FDB to conduct testing on a collection of condoms and ensure that those that did not meet requirements were recalled from the market or were not allowed into the country.
Heat and humidity contribute to the deterioration of condoms, so importers are being advised to ensure that condoms stored for more than six months in warehouses be re-certified before sale.
For certification, a minimum of 1 500 condoms are required for the quality test to ensure proper length, width, thickness, bursting volume and package integrity, to show that the material is not perforated and that packaging and labelling are correct.
"The procedures will ensure health security and prevent manufacturers form using Ghana as the dumping grounds for substandard goods," Martey said. - dpa
- SAPA