Late tender award results in contraceptive backlog

With a country-wide shortage of contraceptive injections, the national health department has downplayed the scarcity, saying there are more than enough condoms available in South Africa.

The Nur-Isterate injection is part of the government’s family planning protocol and is used bi-monthly by women.

The government’s sole supplier of the injection is Bayer South Africa, who secured the tender in February. The previous tender expired in September but it took about five months before Bayer SA was brought on board.

And the delay in issuing the new tender is the reason for the country-wide shortage, according to Bayer Southern Africa’s spokesperson Tasniem Patel.

“As a result of the late tender award, the production capacity usually allocated to Nur-Isterate was reallocated to other products that had a confirmed demand,” she said.

Patel said the company was working with a team in Germany to fill the backlog.

“Bayer has met the current demand – however, the back orders resulting from the nonaward period of five months has placed pressure on the current stock levels.”

She said the backlog would be filled by the end of 2018.

Despite the shortage, national health department spokesperson Popo Maja said there were enough condoms to go around.

He said the government not only promoted contraceptives, but also safe sex. “Condoms are there. People can’t [solely] rely on contraceptives.

“Far too many young women are being diagnosed with HIV/Aids,” he said.

Maja said the reason behind the shortage was due to a particular drug.

“There is a particular drug used in the birth control that is out of stock and the unavailability of this drug is global.

“This drug is used in both the Nur-Isterate injection and Triphasil pill,” he said.

Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Lwandile Sicwetsha said there was an issue with all injectable contraceptives country-wide.

“The department has a wide selection of contraceptives besides these injectables. There are tablets, intra-uterine devices, implants and other injectables,” he said.

Nontokozo Nkomo, 24, said the injection was convenient as it had to be used less often than tablets, prevented period pains and had fewer side-effects.

She first noticed the shortage on October 29 when she visited a government clinic in Central.

She then went to the government clinic in Walmer where a sign on the door stated, “We are out of Nur-isterate”.

She then tried a number of private clinics and was told the same thing.