Madison Life Insurance (MLife) Limited and Madison Health Solutions have jointly donated a consignment of socially marketed condoms valued at approximately K90, 000.00 to the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council (NAC) for distribution to areas with rising numbers of new HIV infections.

NAC Acting Director General Mr. Fortune Chibamba who received the condoms, described the gesture by the two sister companies as  an indicator that  the private sector identifies with government efforts towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The donation of 15,000 packs each with 36 units of condoms translates into a total of 540,000 pieces of condoms.

Mr Chibamba said NAC was delighted that MLife Insurance and Madison Health Solutions were committed to supporting the Zambian government to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number three and 10 on good health and wellbeing and reduced inequality respectively.

He said as a government agency mandated to provide leadership in coordinating the national HIV response, NAC was keen to ensuring that all partners pull in one direction for maximum results from their collective actions using the 2017-2021 National HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework (NASF) which articulates comprehensive condom programming as one of the high impact interventions on the HIV prevention side.

Another aspect for which NAC applauded Madison Health Solutions was the captivating innovation behind the manufacture and branding of the seven Enjoyable Safe Pleasure (ESP) family of condoms which makes them attractive to users who are the most sexually active members of the Zambian community. The seven flavours are; Skin Pleasure, Mix Pleasure, Feel Pleasure, Extra Pleasure, Fun Pleasure, Large Pleasure and Air Thin Supreme Feel. 

“I am reliably informed that Madison Health Solutions is the official distributor of the ESP condoms, a new Sexual Healthcare range especially developed for the sexually active generation as regards packaging, design and competitive pricing without compromising on the premium quality”, Mr Chibamba said.

When used correctly and consistently, condoms offer triple benefits of HIV prevention and other sexually transmitted infections as well as prevention of unwanted pregnancies in the case of girls.

MLife Insurance Managing Director Ms. Agnes Chakonta who handed over the condoms to NAC said the donation was her company’s bid through Madison Health Solutions to augment Government’s effort in the long standing fight against HIV and AIDS pandemic through improved access to Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) products and services.

Ms. Chakonta said all stakeholders, i.e.  Government, the private sector, civil society and individuals alike, needed to play their part in ensuring that Zambia with the rest of the world pushes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which include the target of ending AIDS by 2030. “It is to this end that MLife felt incumbent upon itself to throw in its weight in accordance with the company’s corporate social responsibility policy objectives; and is passionate about giving back to the cross community it operates in, through various activities” said Ms. Chakonta.

 News flash was compiled by the NAC Communications Unit.