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Bodies fighting HIV-AIDS expand their condom distribution network by roping in more non-traditional vendors

hard news: An instructor (in green shirt) hands over a box of condoms and instruction manual to vendors in Nagpur yesterday

After paanwallas and vegetable vendors, government AIDS control agencies are roping in dhobis, barbers, garage mechanics and grocers to sell quality condoms. MiD DAY's report 'Paan, chai tapris join AIDS battle' published on November 14 had highlighted how, in a market flooded with sub-standard condoms, the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) were encouraging non-traditional vendors to market quality condoms.
 
HLFPPT and NACO set off their second phase of training in Nagpur on Monday, which will include 21,000 non-traditional vendors to market condoms (see box). "Apart from red light areas, we will target women who solicit sex, frequent parlours and cosmetic outlets.
 
It makes more sense to stock condoms there, instead of a chemist," explained Rajat Ghosh, senior operations manager, HLFPPT.

"We tell vendors that selling spurious condoms is equal to endangering the lives of crores with terror attacks like 26/11, as the person has to live with the stigma of AIDS forever," said Ghosh.

Condom awareness figures 
210 vendors educated about benefits of selling 'sahi' condoms yesterday 
7,500 non-traditional vendors trained in 2008
21,000 vendors to be reached in 2009
8,000 non-traditional vendors in city's red light districts
70 crore condoms sold annually in state
30 per cent of the condoms sold in the state are spurious

New condom sellers
Beauty parlours, beer bars, watchmakers, cobblers, dhabas, video parlours, cinemas, tailors, chaiwallas, barbers, grocers, bhajiwallas, canteens, boarding houses PCOs, garages, paanwallas
Condom sales focus on Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik, Sangli, Solapur, Mumbai