admin
Plumtree Correspondent
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care needs to conduct about 40 000 more male circumcision operations countrywide before the end of the year if it is to meet its target of 115 000 for 2013, an official said yesterday.
Speaking during a four-day media workshop in Bulawayo organised by the UNFPA on sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention in the country, the National Male Circumcision Co-ordinator in the Ministry, Mr Sinokuthemba Xaba said more than 70 000 circumcision operations had been conducted since January.
He said the region of Matabeleland accounted for the highest number of cases.
“We have conducted 75 369 circumcisions nationwide from the period between January and September this year and the Mashonaland region had the lowest figure. The region of Matabeleland accounted for the highest number of circumcisions,” said Mr Xaba.
Bulawayo accounted for 18 percent of the 2013 figures followed by Matabeleland South Province with 15 percent. At the bottom is Mashonaland East and Central and Midlands provinces which accounted for five percent each.
Mr Xaba said the Ministry would next year introduce a new circumcision device in order to scale up the circumcision operations.
“We will be introducing the Prepex next year to conduct the circumcision procedure. The device has been approved by the WHO and the health workers will be receiving training on how to operate this new device,” he said.
Mr Xaba said the curriculum for nurses would also be reviewed to incorporate training on the circumcision procedure.
“Nurses will next year receive training on how to operate the Prepex male circumcision device. We are in the process of reviewing the curriculum of nurses so that it covers male circumcision.
“This is part of our drive towards human resource innovation. We will be broadening the scope of nurses. This will also help broaden the scope of medical institutions that offer male circumcision procedures,” said Mr Xaba.
He said the Ministry had set a target to conduct more than one million circumcision operations by 2017.
“We have set our target at 1,3 million circumcisions by 2017 which explains the strategies we are implementing in a bid to scale up on the number of circumcision procedures conducted each year.
“The role of circumcision in preventing HIV infections cannot be overemphasised. Four circumcisions can avert one case of HIV infection,” he said.
Mr Xaba also said if male circumcision could be scaled up HIV prevalence would decrease to 4,4 percent by 2025.
He said the country would realise cumulative financial savings amounting to $1,13 billion by 2025.
Male circumcision is scientifically proven to lessen chances of contracting HIV by 60 percent, improves cleanliness and prevents cervical cancer in women.
Before the introduction of the male circumcision programme only a handful of private health institutions were offering the service and mostly for reasons other than HIV infection.
In Africa, the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV remains high, with women constituting 59 percent of people living with HIV.
Online Reporter