The Chinese government is expected to distribute contraceptives valued at 420 million yuan, or US$52.5 million, to the public free of charge next year, said an official with the National Population and Family Planning Commission here Thursday.

Li Yanqiu, deputy director of the commission's contraceptive medicine and device development center, told Xinhua that the government plans to procure over 30 varieties of condoms, prophylactics and intrauterine devices from 30 businesses at a Nov. 18-19 contraceptive fair to cope with a growing demand for more contraceptive options of the general public.

Among the US$52.5 million spent on the procurement, 53 percent or US$28.7 million, will be used to purchase 1.7 billion condoms.

The government has procured and distributed an average of 1.2 billion condoms a year over the past few years, but the number and varieties of contraceptives still fall short of public demand as China now has 254 million couples at reproductive age.

At Wednesday's opening ceremony of the Third China Exposition on New Birth Control Technologies and Products, Commission's director Zhang Weiqing said China should step up technological innovation and financial investment to develop the family planning and reproductive health industry.

More than 200 businesses from eight countries are attending the Nov. 16-19 expo, which, apart from holding trade talks, will display varieties of contraceptives, reproductive health products, medical equipment and audio and video materials.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2005)