Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Gauteng health department says it monitors contraceptive stock levels on a monthly basis, following a revelation that there was shortage of 29 000 Implanon contraceptive implants in the first three months of 2023.
This has emerged in Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko’s written reply to questions from the DA in the Gauteng legislature.
The DA wanted to know about the shortages of the implant experienced since January last year, the reasons for the shortages, and the impact they had on those who relied on the implants.
Nkomo-Ralehoko said the department only received 2 000 Implanon devices between January and March out of orders for 31 000 units, after the supplier failed to meet the demand for them.
That was the only shortage experienced since January 2022, she said.
Nkomo-Ralehoko added:
She gave an assurance that minimum and maximum contraceptive stock levels were monitored monthly to ensure that all contraceptives and related services were always available.
“There is also marketing and information sharing on available contraceptive methods,” Nkomo-Ralehoko said.
The subdermal implants offer longer term birth control, according to a report in the South African Medical Journal. The government introduced them in 2014 to offer women more choice.
DA health spokesperson Jack Bloom said it was unfortunate that a supplier failure prevented thousands of women from using their preferred long-acting contraceptive methods.
“This follows the drastic shortage of male and female condoms because of long-running supply problems with a national contract. The provincial health department should be more adept at detecting shortages of key items and getting alternative suppliers to fill orders speedily,” Bloom said.
In April, Nkomo-Ralehoko, again writing in a written reply to the DA, said there was a shortage of both male and female condoms in five of the province’s districts.
The shortage was due to a lack of stock on the suppliers’ books as they waited for the approval of samples from the South African Bureau of Standards before placing bulk orders with manufacturers.
At the time, Bloom said that there had been a decline in the number of condoms distributed and taken since the 2017/2018 financial year.
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