Mat South leads in male circumcision

News
ZIMBABWE has recorded a very low uptake of the voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) and the country is failing to meet targets set every year, the Health and Child Care ministry has said.

ZIMBABWE has recorded a very low uptake of the voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) and the country is failing to meet targets set every year, the Health and Child Care ministry has said.

FELUNA NLEYA STAFF REPORTER

Speaking at a workshop hosted by Population Services International (PSI) in Bulawayo last week, Health and Child Care Matabeleland South provincial medical director Rudo Chikodzore said the male circumcision programme was lagging behind set targets.

“We are trying to scale up on the circumcision as we are working against our targets,” Chikodzore said.

“We have been able to achieve only 4,8% of the target and this means we still have a long way to go.”

Last year, Zimbabwe had targeted to circumcise at least 115 000 men, but only managed to have 112 869 circumcised.

In 2010, the target was 20 000 but 11 123 were circumcised. In 2011, 36 742 were circumcised against a target of 60 000 while in 2012 only 20 775 were against a target of 80 000.

Matabeleland South province is leading on male circumcision (MC) followed by Matabeleland North.

Chikodzore attributed the high figure in Matabeleland South to the work of a traditional group in the province involved in circumcision.

“Matabeleland South has high figures and this comes from Beitbridge where there is a traditional group which is into circumcision, that is why they have no problems embracing the programme,” she said.

She said that high male circumcision should be able to turnaround the high HIV prevalence.

“We should be able to avert 42% of new HIV infections through scaling up of MC between 2011 and 2015, if MC is scaled up we will be able to avert 150 000 new infections,” Chikodzore said.

PSI director of VMMC, Ngonidzashe Madidi, attributed the low numbers of men going to go for circumcision due to fears of the surgical procedure.

“Men have certain fears of the surgical procedure,” he said. “Many men were shunning the programme because of it being surgical and men have the fear of injections, that is why there is a new method, the prepex where we use a device around the fore skin therefore cutting blood supply to the end.

“The device is worn for seven days and is only used by adults of 18 years and above.”

Madidi said 161 men have undergone circumcision through the prepex method since March 31 this year.

PSI is using celebrities as brand ambassadors in order to lure more men to be circumcised.

The ambassadors include Albert Nyathi who was circumcised last week, Jah Prayzah, Sulumani Chimbetu, Winky D, Thabani Gambiza and Fungisai Mashavave-Zvakavapano.

Reports say MC reduces chances of HIV infection by 60%.