UP TO 98,000 males aged between 15 and 49 were circumcised between January and April this year, recording a 40 percent increase compared to 34 percent during the same period in 2013, National Voluntary Male Circumcision (NVMC) coordinator Albert Kaonga has said.
The NVMC has also disclosed that 800,000 males have up to date been circumcised since the programme started in 2007. Dr Kaonga said this in an interview with Femail during the week.
Dr Kaonga has attributed the increase in the number of males getting circumcised to the integration of male circumcision programme into health services provided in all health centres.
“We have extended our April campaigns to September this year in order to reach our target of circumcising 1.9 million HIV negative males by 2015. People are now having a sense of ownership of the male circumcision programme, they have realised that it is one of the key drivers in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” Dr Kaonga said.
He also said Copperbelt has continued to record the highest number in males requesting circumcision services followed by Lusaka.
Dr Kaonga said 80,000 male infants were circumcised between 2010 and 2013.
He also said Government has no intention of making male circumcision mandatory and compulsory in new born males because this is voluntary service.
He has since called on traditional rulers to encourage their male subjects to seek circumcision services, adding that circumcision programmes can only be scaled-up if more traditional rulers get on board and sensitise their subjects on their importance.
Dr Kaonga has attributed the increase in the number of males getting circumcised to the integration of male circumcision programme into health services provided in all health centres.
“We have extended our April campaigns to September this year in order to reach our target of circumcising 1.9 million HIV negative males by 2015. People are now having a sense of ownership of the male circumcision programme, they have realised that it is one of the key drivers in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” Dr Kaonga said.
He also said Copperbelt has continued to record the highest number in males requesting circumcision services followed by Lusaka.
Dr Kaonga said 80,000 male infants were circumcised between 2010 and 2013.
He also said Government has no intention of making male circumcision mandatory and compulsory in new born males because this is voluntary service.
He has since called on traditional rulers to encourage their male subjects to seek circumcision services, adding that circumcision programmes can only be scaled-up if more traditional rulers get on board and sensitise their subjects on their importance.
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