21000 circumcised in Zim

OVER 21 000 men have been circumcised through the Ministry of Health and Child Care circumcision campaign aimed at reducing the development of cervical cancer in women and the spread of HIV and AIDS.

The Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMZ) mobile campaign ran from August to September this year throughout the country.

Ministry's advocacy communications officer Mr Brian Nachipo said the campaign recorded an increase in the number of circumcised men from the total that was recorded in the April to May campaign.

"During the August to September campaign period, a total of 21 237 male were circumcised throughout the country. This marks a remarkable increase from the total 15 134 recorded in the April to May campaign," said Mr Nachipo.

He said the success was a result of the increased awareness through the media and the improved appreciation of the VMMZ benefits by both men and women.

"The increase is owed to the continued efforts in training doctors and teams that do the circumcision and as well as increased and improved appreciation of the benefits of VMMZ," said Mr Nachipo.

Mr Nachipo said during the ministry and its partners were able to put together outreach teams in the different district across the country so as to reach out to hard to reach areas.

Mr Nachipo said: "These teams comprised of doctors and nurses who then went to provide services in districts where VMMZ is not routinely accessible."

"The outreach teams camped in those districts and made sure that many people who could not access VMMZ could have access to the much needed service which is not ordinarily available in their district," said Mr Nachipo.

Mr Nachipo encouraged men to undergo male circumcision saying its benefits go beyond reducing chances of contracting the HIV Virus.

"Man should go for male circumcision because not only does it reduce the contraction of HIV by 60 %, but it also prevents the development of cancer on the penis, reduces chances of contracting cervical cancer virus for the women who has a circumcised sexual partner, reduces complication for the fore skin and also reduces chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases,"