Basseterre, St. Kitts (March 19, 2004): Family Health International (FHI) is in the forefront of condom distribution in the Federation thanks to a generous donation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
FHI Regional Programme Director Mrs. Mavis Huggins said that although based in St. Kitts the Caribbean regional programme operates in Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia as well as St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She explained that the USAID donation of condoms will be used for preventative efforts.
FHI Local Coordinator Ms. Sharalee Benjamin said that in St. Kitts and Nevis condoms have already been distributed to several pick up points. These include 15,000 to gynaecologists,16,000 to the Ministry of Health in Nevis as well as to Non Government Organisations affiliated to the Reducing AIDS/HIV Now Network (RAHNN). Forty-two thousand will also be distributed to the Ministry of Health enabling residents to access them at the Ministry itself as well as health centres around the island.
Ms. Benjamin further noted that certain businesses such as Sprat Net have received condoms for distribution to encourage customers to make use of them and thus reduce the incidents of HIV/AIDS in the Federation. She also encouraged persons wanting to assist in distributing condoms or accessing them for personal use to contact her at FHI at 466-1515.
Regional Programme Coodinator Mr. Hensley Daniel said that while the condoms are being used as preventative methods to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS there is also a monitoring system to access their effectiveness.
He explained that the system will enable FHI to determine the average age of condom users, their gender and whether or not they reside in the rural or urban areas among other statistical data.
Mr. Daniel elaborated that FHI would also be able to find out the time condoms are used most often, the popular distribution points as well as the level of satisfaction with the brand. He expressed the desire that young people in particular make use of the condoms.
