Tanzania removes over 17, 000 counterfeit condoms from the market
What you need to know:
TMDA says that the presence of counterfeit and unregistered condoms was putting the consumers at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/Aids.
Morogoro. A total of 17 076 packets of counterfeit and unregistered condoms have been removed from the market by the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA).
These condoms include; Lifeguard, Chishango, Pudence, Ultimate, Maximum Classic which were placed and sold at the marketplace across the country.
This was revealed by the acting director of medical products control Mr Akida Khea when he addressed participants during TMDA task force meeting held in Morogoro on Tuesday, July 28.
Mr Khea further added that the counterfeit and unregistered condoms were detected and removed from the market during the 2019/20 fiscal year.
Mr Khea further said that the products were smuggled into the country, hence the authority was not aware of their existence at the marketplace until they conducted the inspection which led to the detection of the sub-standard products.
“We normally conduct inspections of both imported and local medicines and medical devices at the Ports and borders with neighbouring countries, but sometimes unfaithful traders illegally smuggle the products into the country,” said Mr Khea.
He added that the presence of counterfeit and unregistered condoms at the market was putting the consumers at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/Aids.
In a similar development a leading charity organization , Marie Stopes, in 2019 recalled more than a million condoms distributed in Uganda following concerns about their safe use.
Tests had found some of the Indian-manufactured Life Guard brand contained holes or risked bursting during use, Uganda's National Drug Authority (NDA) said.
