Global Condom Shortage As World's Top Producer Shut Due to Coronavirus Lockdown

World countries may experience a global shortage of condoms very soon as most manufacturing units are shut down to curb coronavirus. Malaysia’s Karex Berhad which makes one in every five condoms globally stopped produced a week ago after the government imposed a lockdown. Three of their factories have been shut and they don't seem to return to functioning very soon. Internationally there is already a shortfall of 100 million condoms which are market by brands like Durex. The same is also supplied to state healthcare systems like Britain's NHS or distributed by the UN Population Fund. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Preparation Sees Man Buying Nothing but 16 Boxes of Condoms and a Big Jar of Coconut Oil from Costco! Netizens Have a Field Day.

Reuters quoted Chief Executive Goh Miah Kiat as saying, "It will take time to jumpstart factories and we will struggle to keep up with demand at half capacity. We are going to see a global shortage of condoms everywhere, which is going to be scary. My concern is that for a lot of humanitarian programmes deep down in Africa, the shortage will not just be two weeks or a month. That shortage can run into months." The lockdown in Malaysia is going to be in place until April 14. The country has 2,161 coronavirus infected people other than 26 deaths. Coronavirus Baby Boom: Condom Shortage During the COVID-19 Social Distancing May Cause a Baby Boom in Future.

China is another major condom-producing country where Coronavirus originated due to which a country-wide lockdown has been announced. Goh Miah Kiat said Karex was trying to appeal to the government for an exemption to operate under specific conditions.  He added, "The good thing is that the demand for condoms is still very strong because like it or not, it’s still essential to have. Given that at this point in time people are probably not planning to have children. It’s not the time, with so much uncertainty."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2020 01:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).