The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
OVER 40 000 men have been circumcised countrywide so far this year, to bring the total to 455 872 males that have been circumcised since the inception of the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision programme in March 2009.The figure represents about 32 percent of the target set to circumcise 1,3 million men by 2017, in intensified efforts to reduce by half the rate of new HIV infections.
According to statistics obtained from the health ministry, 43 291 men have gone under the knife countrywide so far this year against a target of 266 580 men set for 2015.
National male circumcision co-ordinator in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Mr Sinokuthemba Xaba expressed optimism in meeting this year’s target, noting that the steady rise in the number of men opting for the medical procedure was assurance that the target would be met.
Mr Xaba also added that the health ministry was on track to achieving the five-year target to circumcise 1,3 million men by 2015, again pointing to the solid increase in the number of men taking part in the programme over the years.
In 2012, 40 775 males were circumcised and the number significantly increased to about 90 000 in 2013 against a target of 115 000, while the past year’s target to circumcise 217 800 men was surpassed.
The number of men who were circumcised so far this year has already surpassed the figure recorded in the whole of 2009 when the programme was incepted.
“We aim to have circumcised 1,3 million males by 2017 in the VMMC programme. As has been mentioned earlier on, we have done 43 291 circumcisions so far (January to March). We are therefore set to meet our annual target for 2014, judging from the performance so far from beginning of the year.
“We have just ended our first campaign for the year and generally the teams across the country did very well as they set outreach teams and provided VMMC services in the hard to reach areas where there is high demand for male circumcision services. There is increased availability of information and general awareness of VMMC and therefore more men are opting to get circumcised, and hence the numbers going up,” he said.
Mr Xaba said the health ministry was employing a cocktail of strategies to promote the male circumcision programme and encourage men to participate as it aims to achieve the five-year target, in concerted efforts to curb the spread of HIV.
Health experts say male circumcision reduces the chances of one contracting HIV by about 60 percent.
“VMMC, unlike other health programmes is a service that targets healthy men who generally may not have a need to go to a health facility. As such, creating awareness and the demand for the VMMC programme is critical.
“We have introduced the PrePex device, which is a non-surgical method for male circumcision. This will ensure that males have the option of selecting which method they will use for getting circumcised. With the availability of more options, this will mean that we will have more men opting for circumcision.
“We will also continue to engage the different community leaders and stakeholders so that we work closely with them in our HIV prevention efforts, including VMMC,” he said.
The latest province by province figures of men that have been circumcised so far this year were not immediately available with Mr Xaba saying it was difficult to compare performance of provinces as each province had its own targets proportional to its population.
“All provinces have generally been performing well during this quarter. However, we cannot compare performance across the different provinces as they are not working on the same target. Each province has a target that is proportional to its population. Furthermore, some provinces have traditionally and/or religiously circumcising communities who are working closely with the ministry and hence they may have higher numbers,” he said.
However, available figures from 2013 show that Matabeleland region recorded the highest number of men who were circumcised.
The three provinces in the region, Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South recorded a collective 42 percent of the total number of men who went under the knife nationwide in 2013.
Statistics show that Matabeleland South province recorded the highest number of circumcised men, with 13 500 men having undergone the procedure.
Bulawayo ranked second with 12 600 men having been circumcised, a figure that accounts for 14 percent of the total national figure, followed by Matabeleland North where 11 700 men were circumcised, which is about 13 percent of the total national figure to rank third.
Harare ranked fourth after 10 800 men were circumcised, while Manicaland and Masvingo both ranked fifth with each province having recorded 9 000 circumcised men.
Midlands and Mashonaland West provinces both recorded 6 300 which is about seven percent of the total number of men circumcised in the period in question.
Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central recorded the least number of circumcised men last year with each province recording about 5 400 men who got their foreskins removed.
