A year after launching its condom distribution programme, the South African Breweries (SAB) has delivered more than 10 million condoms to taverns across South Africa, using its infrastructure, delivery trucks and extensive distribution network.
SAB launched the programme late last year as a public private partnership with the National Department of Health (NDoH), the South African Business Coalition on HIV/Aids (SABCOHA) and the Society of Family Health (SFH). SAB joined the national condom distribution programme to assist government extend its distribution reach to non-traditional outlets, namely taverns.
SAB is well positioned to undertake the task of delivering condoms owing to its efficient and reputable distribution logistics solution and extensive reach. SAB’s 40 distribution depots are used as primary distribution sites where condom stock is stored and collected by SAB truck drivers for distribution during their scheduled delivery run.
Millions of condoms distributed
The aim is to reach 16 000 local taverns over the next five years, distributing more than 845-million condoms to these in total and averting 1.6-million new HIV/Aids infections.
To date, SAB has reached 7303 taverns and distributed 10 456 600 condoms to them over a period of a year. This has assisted in averting 20 914 new HIV/Aids infections. Taverns each received 400 condoms per month and additional stock delivered if needed. Twelve SAB depots have implemented the programme and are operating as Primary Distribution Sites.
The HIV/Aids aversion rate is calculated according to a John Stover (founder and president of Futures Institute) study which claims that for every 500 condoms distributed, at least one new infection is averted. This indicates that condoms are highly effective in protecting individuals against contracting HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).
“Challenges facing society are best tackled through the combined efforts of individuals and groups. Working with government and expert organisations within the HIV/Aids space, we believe that we can make a difference in the fight against the pandemic which has a devastating impact on communities and economic development,” says Hepsy Mkhungo, SAB Head Enterprise Development and Community Partnerships.
(Press release, November 2012)
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