WOW!!! OVER 1 000 000 CONDOMS TO BE DISHED OUT IN MASVINGO PROVINCE

MASVINGO – Condom use in Masvingo Province has peaked to a phenomenal 800 658 a year and this figure is likely to surpass 1 million in 2015 as the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council is starting to roll out a reproductive health programme targeting militant religious groups. This means that 2 194 male condoms are being opened in Masvingo for use every day. It also means that 91 people are using condoms in any hour or two persons are using a condom any minute. ZNPC provincial manager, Peter Abyssinia Vhoko told The Mirror that the use of the male condom in the province has ballooned from 600 780 in 2013 to 800 658 in 2014. The development among other things reflects an upsurge in the success of the health sector's HIV and Aids Awareness Campaign. Use of the female condom however, remains still far too low compared to the male condom as the number increased from 39 024 in 2013 to 63 363 last year. "In our 2015 Strategic Plan, we will be targeting traditional chiefs, headmen, Parliamentarians, the Provincial Administrator's office, the public and private sectors, as well as church organisations such as the Ministers' Fraternity, which trains pastors, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC)," said Vhoko. He reiterated that all those stakeholders would in turn assist ZNFPC in educating apostolic faith sects especially madzibaba whose doctrine militates against family planning practice. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) Provincial Chairman for Masvingo, Rev Themba Swela took a dig at apostolic sects that shun family planning methods. "Apostolic sects especially the so-called 'under-the –tree congregations' have destroyed the country's economy through unplanned child bearing without even taking care of their siblings," Rev Swela indicated. Vhoko said the increase in the use of female condoms has been caused by a number of major campaigns they held into some rural areas. "The sharp increase in female condom use came as result of public campaigns conducted by ZNFPC on the effectiveness of the female condom in Dewure, Bikita, Wendedzo and Maranda areas, where the new female condom received wide acceptance from villagers last year," said Vhoko. Masvingo Mirror