COVID-19 pandemic may lead to global condom shortage due to shut down of Largest Manufacturer

A global shortage of condoms is looming after coronavirus lockdown forced the world’s biggest producer to shut down production.

Malaysia’s Karex Bhd makes one in every five condoms globally.

It has not produced a single condom from its three Malaysian factories for more than a week due to a lockdown imposed by the government to halt the spread of the virus.

That’s already a shortfall of 100 million condoms, normally marketed internationally by brands such as Durex, supplied to state healthcare systems such as Britain’s NHS or distributed by aid programs such as the UN Population Fund.

The head of Karex Bhd told Reuters that the Malaysian company hasn’t produced a single condom from its three factories for over a week due to a lockdown meant to slow the spread of the virus. In that timeframe, the company says it could have made about 100 million condoms, which are marketed under varying names, like Durex.

The company was given permission to restart production on Friday, but with only 50 per cent of its workforce, under a special exemption for critical industries.

“It will take time to jumpstart factories and we will struggle to keep up with demand at half capacity,” Chief Executive Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters.