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Masvingo takes lead in male circumcision

24 Oct, 2014 - 00:10 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Catherine Murombedzi
MASVINGO Province targets to have as many men as possible circumcised as one of the strategies aimed at reducing new HIV infections.
The August school holiday campaign ran from July 25 to September 11, 2014 and did not disappoint. Masvingo PSI targeted to circumcise 3 100 men but has seen more men undergo the procedure.

“We have surpassed our target as we have had 4 278 circumcised men (138 percent). The campaign was a great success,” said PSI community mobilising officer Mr Morgen Chinoda.

The campaign also coincided with traditional winter male initiation/circumcision programme held by the traditionally circumcising communities in the province. This year again the VMMC programme partnered with traditionally circumcising Tshangani and VaRemba groups during their traditional winter male circumcision programme. Chief Sengwe of Chiredzi took a leading role and mobilised his community again.
“PSI Zimbabwe is supporting five out of seven districts of Masvingo Province; namely Masvingo, Chivi, Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Gutu. There are eight active teams providing service in the four districts,” said Mr Chinoda.

“These are Chivi, Mwenezi, Masvingo, Masvingo Uniformed Forces, Chiredzi, Colin Saunders, Hippo Valley and Gutu,” he said.
In 2009, Government adopted male circumcision as one of the comprehensive HIV prevention strategies. In Zimbabwe 10 percent of men are circumcised. Randomised control trials carried out in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda showed that male circumcision (MC) has the protective effect of 60 percent against HIV transmission.

According to ZDHS 2011, MC is a common practice in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, commonly performed for traditional, health and other reasons.

The Health Ministry and its partners aim to ensure that voluntary male circumcision services are available to all communities countrywide. Various strategies to ensure safe MC services have been employed. These include training doctors, nurses and supporting team members. The 2009 National Male Circumcision Policy recognises the need to provide the services in a manner that fosters respect and collaboration with traditionally circumcising communities and their practices.

“Careful consideration is given that the medical approach does not infringe on the traditional values of these communities and in this regard, the MC is carried out in their idyllic settings in sacred areas,” said Mr Chinoda.

“Of all the men that went into camps, none died or had adverse reactions. They all went back home, proving the safety of the procedure,” added Mr Chinoda.

In 2013 nationally, a total of 90 000 men underwent the procedure against a target of 115 000 compared to 40 755 in 2012, said Dr Owen Mugurungi, Head of Aids and TB Unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Care. MC has not been well received in non circumcising communities and this could be a result of improper messaging and education. It has been accepted among the youth who identify with their role models who would have undergone the procedure.

In Zimbabwe dancehall artiste Winky D, and afro contemporary singer Jah Prayzah taken the initiative and undergone MC. Youths therefore identify with the “Pinda Musmart” message given by their idols but we find that older men are not forth coming.

The great icon the late Nelson Mandela once said that lack of education hindered the response to mitigate the further spread of HIV.
“Our most potent weapon against this virus is education. We have, perhaps, for some time, allowed ourselves to believe that like other epidemics it will come and go; that the great advances of our time in science and technology will offer us appropriate quick intervention,” said Mandela.

“The key to our success is our own collective effort. The time for rhetorical arguments and victim blaming has passed. Now is the time for action. What we know about this disease already is enough to enable us to put in place comprehensive and appropriate intervention strategies,” he said.

“We already know that AIDS has no cure and no vaccine despite the intensive research efforts. Therefore, prevention remains for us the strategy we must employ,” said the great leader.

“AIDS exposes an aspect of our lives that we are most loath to discuss openly, but it also touches on religious and cultural sensitivities. We must be sensitive to these, yet be bold to explore all avenues that will ensure that our message is not only received but well received. The only sure way of achieving this is by involving all of us in our home, our institutions, organisations, places of worship and work,” said Mandela. This was way back in 2000 and it still stands true today.

President Mugabe declared HIV and Aids a national emergence in 2000. Zimbabwe still in a burdened country considering that 80 percent of hospital admissions are AIDS related.

Prevention and abstinence still remain the cornerstones in arresting new HIV infections. The prevention from mother to child transmission which is spearheaded by the parent ministry and the Elisabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) aims to have no child born with HIV.
“It is the right of any HIV positive mother to have a child and it is also the right of the unborn child to be protected from HIV infection. We as EGPAF desire to have no child born with the HIV virus. We are working therefore with the parent ministry in 1655 centres nationwide,” said the foundation’s country director, Dr Agnes Mahomva.

Condom use, abstinence and sticking to one uninfected partner is still vital together with the incorporation the VMC programme.

cathymwauyakufa@gmail

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