Any country in the world today faces a myriad of problems, including wars, natural disasters, social issues, and more. Bangladesh is not immune to any of them either, already dealing with a very volatile political and social landscape since the “July Revolution” of August 2024, which led to the ousting of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Almost every day, news of some protest or another being taken up by citizens is coming out of the South Asian country.
However, in the midst of all this, the region might be facing another problem soon, that of their condom supply running out in just over a month, if reports are to be believed.
This development has sent shockwaves through health systems and communities, as it signals a potential rollback of decades of progress in reproductive health and contraception access.
Why Is Bangladesh Facing A Condom Crisis?
The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi English-language daily newspaper, recently reported on how the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) is expected to run out of their condom supply in just around 39 days.
According to the report, DGFP claims that as of December 11, their condom stock is running low and is expected to last just over a month more, while other contraceptive supplies such as intrauterine devices (IUDs), oral pills, implants and injectables are also seeing a shortage.
As per the national contraceptive summary report, condom supply in Bangladesh has seen a decrease of 57% in the last six years, from distribution figures of over 9.7 million units in 2019 to around 4.15 million by late 2025.
An NDTV report states, “Oral pills have seen a reduction of 63 per cent, IUDs of 64 per cent, injectables of 41 per cent, and implants of 37 per cent.”
Parvin Khatun, at Char Korai Barishal Community Clinic, was reportedly quoted as saying, “We used to receive 250 strips of contraceptive pills monthly. Now we are getting only 30-40 strips. We have the injections, but no syringes. As such, we can’t meet the local demand adequately.”
Bangladesh’s potential condom shortage is a complex mix of funding gaps, administrative hurdles, manpower shortages, and broader political and logistical challenges.
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Abdur Razzaque, the director of DGFP’s logistics and supply unit, said, “These contraceptive items could be restocked soon, provided that an ongoing legal issue over the purchase is resolved.”
The Daily Star report also had an official revealing that the health ministry had put a pause on the purchase of condoms and other contraceptives in 2023 for a year, and those funds were used for other items by the authorities.
Without committed funding for new purchases, stockpiles have dwindled.
DGFP Director General Ashrafi Ahmad also believes the Fourth Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme (HPNSP) scheme, under which most of such contraceptives were bought, expiring last year in June, resulted in this crisis worsening.
Further, legal complications put a freeze on recruitments left empty voids among field-level workers in the supply chain.
Professor Dr Ferdousi Begum Flora, former president of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Bangladesh, has commented on how this could be harmful for the country, saying, “The country has been experiencing a prolonged shortage of contraceptives, which will have far-reaching effects on our population and economy,” she told The Daily Star.
“The shortage of contraceptives will lead to an increase in unwanted pregnancies, which will not only increase the population but also raise the abortion rate. Consequently, the maternal mortality rate due to abortions will also increase. Women will face various health risks.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, NDTV, Moneycontrol
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Bangladesh, Bangladesh condoms, Bangladesh news, Bangladesh economy, Bangladesh health program, Bangladesh condom shortage, Bangladesh funds, Bangladesh family planning, Bangladesh contraceptives, contraceptives, contraceptives crisis, condom crisis,
Disclaimer: We do not hold any rights or copyright over any of the images used; these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly email us.
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