Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MOHCW) intends to scale up circumcision coverage among young people, from the current level of 20 percent to 80 percent in the next five years, Dr Owen Mugurungi, MOHCW Head of HIV/AIDS and TB unit has said.
According to reports received at the Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Conference, taking place this week (5 -9 September 2011), the current circumcision rate is only 20 percent, which is very low.
Health experts intend to Intensify circumcision campaigns as a personal hygiene issue and for HIV prevention. Dr Mugurungi says that his ministry is working in collaboration with partners such as Population Services International (PSI), USAID and the Gates Foundation to scale up circumcision campaigns in Zimbabwe.
“The circumcision rate in Zimbabwe is very low because the country is traditionally non-circumcising country,” says Mugurungi. He said that the ministry, with support from its partners, is planning to scale up circumcision from 20 to 80% in the next five years.
Mugurungi said they are planning to reach a population of 1,9 million young men aged between 13 to 29 within the next five years. The ambitious programme intends to reach about 600, 000 young men every year for the next five years.
However, Mugurungi noted that the campaign has challenges that need to be overcome to reach the intended target. These include limited human and financial resources, a need for circumcision kits (which cost approximately $15 each), a need to train specialist nurses and doctors on circumcision, poor logistics such as transport and the need for advocacy around and communication on the programme.
Mugurungi says that the programme will bring benefits to women in the community due risk reduction. Population Services International (PSI) Country Director, Louisa Norman, said her organization, which is partnering with the ministry on the campaign, has done almost 9,000 circumcisions in September this year.
Norman added that PSI has done almost 35, 000 circumcisions since 2009. The organization is planning to scale up the circumcision campaign.
Circumcision is reported to have a 60 percent HIV transmission reduction.
