“Contraceptives should be used on every conceivable occasion.”
― Spike Milligan, Puckoon
The Kenyan government through its pharmacy and poisons board matched words with action when they destroyed consignments of a popular condom product known as Fiesta Condoms.
The product which is very popular across Africa was said to have failed the thickness quality test and so was deemed unfit for use by the general public. 'The condoms is not thick enough for Kenyans,' an authority of the pharmacy and poisons board was quoted as saying.
According to the board, drug inspectors from the agency supervised the destruction and burning of the large consignments of Fiesta condoms valued at over 10 million Kenyan shillings (about $100,000).
The action took place at a Kenyan government owned pharmacy and poisons destruction facility in Athi River, located in a town just outside the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
Interestingly, the products affected were the 'Fiesta Stamina' and 'Fiesta Big Black' products which were advertised by the company to the 'safest for the Black African man'. However, the varieties failed the compulsory thickness tests in November 2018 and was since recalled from the market.
The authorized market dealers of the affected products, Deep Kumar Tyagi Healthcare International Limited - which seemed to have cooperated well with the Kenyan authorities assisted in the recall of the affected products. The destruction has no doubt plunged the company into losses running into about $100,000.
The Kenyan pharmacy and poisons shared a tweet including pictures of its officials wearing protective overalls, loading cartoons of the affected products into a furnace.
The tweet which was posted through their official handle @ppbkenya was accompanied by a caption that read:
“The recall of the affected batches of the fiesta condoms was concluded on 11th March 2019 upon which Pharmacy and Poisons Board Kenya directed the market authorization holder to carry out the destruction of the recalled consignment under PPB supervision.”
The Board has urged the general public to remain vigilance in identifying sub-standard health products in the market.
Header Image Credit: Pharmacy and Poisons @ppbkenya