Brazil plans to distribute 3 billion free condoms

Pedro Chequer, Brazil's AIDS director, announced Wednesday that the nation plans to distribute 3 billion free condoms annually to fight the spread of HIV. The condoms will be distributed mainly to the poor and the young. Three billion condoms would equate to 35 for each of the 85 million Brazilians considered sexually active among the total population of 175 million. The program started in 1995 and distributed 20 million condoms; 600 million free condoms will be given out this year. Chequer, who resumed control of the AIDS program last week after previously directing it from 1996 to 2000, did not say when the 3 billion figure will be reached. The government will offer incentives to encourage local condom makers to produce adequate supplies, he said. The plan to offer free, universal access to condoms builds on Brazil's AIDS treatment program, which provides free antiretorviral drugs for HIV patients. The drug program has been made possible by Brazil's practice of winning price reductions from drugmakers, sometimes by threatening to produce generic copies. Since 1996, when it began distributing free anti-HIV drugs, Brazil has cut its AIDS death rate in half. (Reuters)