News / Health
Ministry set to circumcise 10-day-old babies
09 Nov 2013 at 19:16hrs | Views
The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has embarked on a pilot programme that will see over 500 babies between the ages of 10 and 60 days being circumcised voluntarily in Harare.
The programme is meant to assist Government in determining the best age at which to start conducting male circumcision, which is said to reduce the likelihood of contracting HIV by approximately 60 percent.
Speaking on the sidelines of a United Nations Population Fund-convened maternal and reproductive health media sensitisation workshop in Bulawayo last week, MoHCC male circumcision co-ordinator Dr Sinokuthemba Xaba disclosed that the pilot programme is being conducted at Mabvuku and Edith Opperman clinics.
"At the sites, trained general and midwife nurses are currently circumcising newborn babies between 10 and 60 days for free.
"Parents are the ones who are giving us the consent to circumcise their boys using the accucirc method," he said.
"When phase one of the pilot program was initiated last year in December we set a target of circumcising 150 babies using two methods which were the accucirc and morgan clap methods.
"After reaching the target in May this year, the assessment clearly showed that most parents preferred the accucirc method which is why we have embarked on the second phase of our pilot programme.
"We now want to see the strength and weakness of the most preferred method, parents' responses to the method, their suggestions and also how nurses can handle the procedure."
Dr Xaba noted that the results of the programme will determine whether the ministry will continue circumcising newborn babies.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, yesterday disclosed that efforts are under way to review the country's approach to male circumcision.
"We are going to review the current approach to male circumcision in the country after further consultations, especially with the parents and the community so that we have a coherent policy.
"The consultations will be done as soon as possible as we intend to find ways of improving our approach," he said.
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the male sexual organ.
The MoHCC has previously stated that it intends to contribute to the reduction of HIV infections through the circumcision of 80 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 49 by 2017.
This year the ministry is targeting to circumcise 115 000 males, 217 800 next year, 239 580 in 2015, 263 538 in 2016 and 289 000 in 2017.
The programme is meant to assist Government in determining the best age at which to start conducting male circumcision, which is said to reduce the likelihood of contracting HIV by approximately 60 percent.
Speaking on the sidelines of a United Nations Population Fund-convened maternal and reproductive health media sensitisation workshop in Bulawayo last week, MoHCC male circumcision co-ordinator Dr Sinokuthemba Xaba disclosed that the pilot programme is being conducted at Mabvuku and Edith Opperman clinics.
"At the sites, trained general and midwife nurses are currently circumcising newborn babies between 10 and 60 days for free.
"Parents are the ones who are giving us the consent to circumcise their boys using the accucirc method," he said.
"When phase one of the pilot program was initiated last year in December we set a target of circumcising 150 babies using two methods which were the accucirc and morgan clap methods.
"After reaching the target in May this year, the assessment clearly showed that most parents preferred the accucirc method which is why we have embarked on the second phase of our pilot programme.
"We now want to see the strength and weakness of the most preferred method, parents' responses to the method, their suggestions and also how nurses can handle the procedure."
Dr Xaba noted that the results of the programme will determine whether the ministry will continue circumcising newborn babies.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, yesterday disclosed that efforts are under way to review the country's approach to male circumcision.
"We are going to review the current approach to male circumcision in the country after further consultations, especially with the parents and the community so that we have a coherent policy.
"The consultations will be done as soon as possible as we intend to find ways of improving our approach," he said.
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin of the male sexual organ.
The MoHCC has previously stated that it intends to contribute to the reduction of HIV infections through the circumcision of 80 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 49 by 2017.
This year the ministry is targeting to circumcise 115 000 males, 217 800 next year, 239 580 in 2015, 263 538 in 2016 and 289 000 in 2017.
Source - SundayMail
