The United States government, through the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and its partner John Snow International, supplied approximately 5 000 medical kits for use in Zimbabwe’s growing programme to provide male circumcision (MC) services.<\/p>\n
A proven and important way to reduce the incidence of HIV, the World Health Organisation estimates that male circumcision lowers the chance of contracting HIV in males by up to 60%. At present, only about 10% of adult males in Zimbabwe are circumcised.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare is expanding its pilot male circumcision programme to make these services widely available. The ministry has identified a goal of circumcising 80% of adults (ages 15-49) and newborn males in Zimbabwe by 2015.<\/p>\n
Estimates show that scaling-up medical MC services to reach 80% of all adult and newborn males in Zimbabwe by 2015 would reduce the number of new adult HIV infections by more than 80% by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n
The circumcision kits are the first part of a US$1,5 million Pepfar donation of medical supplies that can facilitate up to 28 000 circumcision procedures. Each kit contains the necessary equipment to perform a male circumcision, including forceps, disposable scalpels, needles and gauze.<\/p>\n
Other support is being provided by the United Nations Population Fund and Population Services International (PSI), which is partnering USAid and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to expand male circumcision across the country.<\/p>\n