Ghana will soon roll out a National Condom and Lubricant Strategy
The Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, has announced that Ghana will soon roll out a National Condom and Lubricant Strategy to address concerns about access, suitability and public preference.
According to Dr Akanbong, the Commission has gathered nationwide data on how Ghanaians perceive condom use and the findings will influence the new strategy
“We are coming out with a National Condom and Lubricant Strategy. We have looked at all the information gathered across the country about people’s perceptions of condom use so that we can refashion the kind of condoms we provide to meet people’s needs. Maybe what we are providing is not what they want,” he stated in a Joy News interview on Friday, February 13, 2026.
Dr Akanbong explained that the review is not limited to condoms distributed under government programmes.
“People go to pharmacies to buy the types of condoms they prefer. We are taking all the statistics together to see whether there is a preferential direction we should go, so we can prepare our National Condom Strategy properly,” he explained.
Dr Akanbong noted that intimacy in relationships often leads to inconsistent condom use.
“Some people start using condoms in a relationship, maybe for a week or so, but once they get used to each other, they stop. That pattern affects consistent use,” he added.
The new condom strategy he noted will examine behavioural factors influencing usage.
“We realised at some point that some men said the condoms in the system were too small. If we need to increase condom use, the strategy must look at why men are not using the condoms provided and ensure we get ones that are more friendly to the Ghanaian context,” he added.
Touching on the use of female condoms, he said earlier versions were not suitable for the local environment.
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“The first female condom was inappropriate for the Ghanaian environment. After gathering national feedback, we introduced a second set that was more acceptable. In fact, one of the biggest requests we receive is for the female condom,” he remarked.
His comments came in the wake of the International Condom Day marked annually on February 13.
The day aims to raise awareness about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), promote safer sex practices, and highlight the importance of condom use in preventing HIV and unwanted pregnancies.
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The observance was initiated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis and is recognised globally to encourage discussions about sexual health.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com