New brand of condoms launched

A new brand of male condom, 'Dume' (Kiswahili for masculine), has been launched in Tanzania, prompting activists to call for an aggressive education campaign for their use in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The male condoms were launched by Tanzania Marketing and Communication, with support from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief fund and the US Agency for International Development, and are expected to retail at about 100 Tanzanian shillings (US $0.10) for a packet of three. Speaking at the launch, Reginald Mengi, a member of the Tanzania AIDS Commission, said it was unfair for people who preferred abstinence to disparage those who promoted condom use as their preferred method of prevention. According to a recent survey, about seven percent of adult Tanzanians are HIV positive.