Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision - December 27, 2004
John Odyek
"We have had nothing to do with Engabu condoms for the last five years. We did not provide money to purchase the condoms. We are an agency for technical cooperation and we do not manufacture condoms," Hutter said.
The New Vision on Friday, quoting state minister for health, Dr Alex Kamugisha, said the Government would sue GTZ over the defective condoms. The 10 million condoms have been withdrawn from the market.
Prof. Francis Omaswa, the director general of health services, said Kamugisha was misquoted. "A German company in conjunction with a Chinese company are involved in supplying the condoms," Omaswa said.
Hutter said in 1990 GTZ helped to set up the Engabu brand as part of a social marketing strategy. They handed in the brand name and specifications to the health ministry in 1999. She said the specifications were based on World Health Organisation standards.
"The article said we imported the substandard condoms. We had a system of quality checks but since 1999, we have had nothing to do with Engabu condoms," she said.
Paul Kaggwa, a spokesman for the Ministry of health, said the condoms were being supplied under a World Bank project. The suppliers are selected through competitive bidding. He said GTZ was not one of the companies supplying the condoms.
Peter Nsubuga, the project director, Multi-sectoral Aids Project, said a Chinese company supplied the defective condoms.
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