Zimpapers Logo

Dr Magda Robalo

Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
Over 10 million men from East and Southern Africa have undergone voluntary circumcision since 2008, World Health Organisation regional director for communicable diseases, Dr Magda Robalo has said.

Addressing delegates attending the “10 million circumcisions celebrations” held at the 18th International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (ICASA) taking place in Harare yesterday, Dr Robalo attributed the success to various initiatives by member countries in reaching out to uncircumcised men.

“We are beginning to see a decline in the number of new infections, but of course not as fast as we want,” she said. “While we have hit the 10 million mark in only five years, we need to double that figure in the next five years.”

Dr Robalo said since 2008, the number of new HIV infections dropped from 1,6 million to 900 000 in 2014 among circumcised men.

She said it was possible to double the 10 million mark in the next five years, judging from previous trends. Dr Robalo said three million men had been circumcised by 2012 and the number rose to six million in 2013, nine million in 2014 and to over 10 million this year.

The continental target for voluntary male circumcision is 20 million this year.

Dr Robalo said while VMMC alone could not end Aids, it provided an option for men to protect themselves from acquiring HIV.

Speaking at the same occasion, a Zambian traditional chief, Chief Jonathan Mumena, said his country had so far circumcised one million men from a target of 1,9 million by 2015. Chief Mumena, who also underwent circumcision, attributed Zambia’s success story to buy in by traditional leaders.

“When we sold the idea to our men during a traditional ceremony, all the men said ‘if it’s good for our chief, then it’s good for us too’,” he said.

Chief Mumena said following awareness campaigns, all chiefs in Zambia bought the idea and VMMC went national among traditional communities.

VMMC is one of the top public health intervention recommended by the World Health Organisation as an option to HIV prevention.

Research has shown that VMMC has a potential to reduce HIV acquisition by 60 percent and Zimbabwe has since 2008 circumcised over 500 000 men.