Sam Stembo to address UNFPA ‘20 by 20’ workshop in Namibia

Mitko Group of Companies Group Business Development Director Sam Stembo is listed to address the ‘20 by 20’ workshop organised by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the World Bank, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and International Labour Organization (ILO) which will be held from 19 to 21 October in Windhoek, Namibia.

The above coalition launched this new initiative ‘20 by 20’ to increase the availability, access and usage of 20 billion condoms in low and middle income countries by the year 2020. The target would help make the vision of significantly lower new HIV and STI infections, fewer unintended pregnancies and universal access to sexual and reproductive health a reality. The focus of the initiative in 2015 is sub-Saharan Africa, where deficit of condoms is most acute and the needs most urgent.

The first consultation, the ‘20 by 20’ workshop with public, NGO and the private sector partners, was held in Bangkok in January 2015 which concluded successfully with more than seventy individuals from commercial condom manufacturers, public sector donors, NGOs, Government, and multilateral organisations such as UNAIDS and USAID.

In addition to finding solutions to many challenges the workshop also provided a forum to discuss ways to increase private sector engagement in African condom markets, to identify existing challenges and barriers to market entry, and explore the creative opportunities to overcome these barriers. It is argued that the private sector is more flexible, innovative, consumer-oriented and user-friendly and therefore indispensable in attaining the 20 billion goal.

Stembo will present and discuss private sector strategies, barriers and solutions of commercial marketing of condoms at the workshop. He carries with him a wide experience and exposure having held senior positions at Family Planning Association (FPA), Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and also managed projects funded by the World Bank, UN, USAID, Governments of Netherlands and Norway.

Mitko Family Health Care (MFHC), a fully owned subsidiary of the Mitko Group is currently engaged in sexual and reproductive health services. MFHC is identified internally as the social-biz entity of the group due the fact that company invests in research and training for common benefit and the CSR component is inbuilt in the operation.

MFHC recently launched an Online Survey on Sexual Behaviour in collaboration with UNAIDS in Sri Lanka. Mitko group is pleased to be represented at this important initiative and have its representative listed to address the workshop. MFHC also considers this as a learning opportunity to strengthen its operations both locally and overseas, while serving the important global challenge to control transmission of HIV and STIs.