Over the past five years an estimated 635,458 men and boys countrywide have chosen medical circumcision representing the progress towards target of 80 percent coverage to 32.60 percent.
In 2008, only 2,758 men and boys countrywide had accessed male circumcision.
The WHO progress brief on voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention in 14 priority countries of East and Southern Africa attributes the upturn to the commitment of several stakeholders.
These include ministers of health, policy-makers, programme managers, health care providers, global and regional stakeholders including donors such as PEPFAR and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and implementing agencies who have been supporting programmes that deliver high quality services.
Another contributing factor is due to the growing acceptance in communities, among men and their partners, adolescents and parents.
“An impressive upturn in the number of male circumcisions performed occurred in 2013 with 2.7 million men in 14 priority countries of East and Southern Africa stepping forward for medical male circumcision, leading to a cumulative total of 5.82 million males circumcised since 2008”, the brief read in parts.
This positive trend signals a shift in pace and reduces the gap towards the ambitious target of 20.8 million males circumcised by 2016.
The 14 priority countries include Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The named African countries have high rates of heterosexual HIV transmission and historically low levels of male circumcision coverage.
The brief further stated that voluntary medical male circumcision is rapidly becoming one of the most important science-based strategies for preventing HIV in eastern and southern Africa.
Achieving 80 percent coverage of voluntary medical male circumcision in 14 priority African countries would mean reaching a total of more than 20 million men, or approximately three times more than the number currently reached.
The WHO progress brief on voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention in 14 priority countries of East and Southern Africa attributes the upturn to the commitment of several stakeholders.
These include ministers of health, policy-makers, programme managers, health care providers, global and regional stakeholders including donors such as PEPFAR and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and implementing agencies who have been supporting programmes that deliver high quality services.
Another contributing factor is due to the growing acceptance in communities, among men and their partners, adolescents and parents.
“An impressive upturn in the number of male circumcisions performed occurred in 2013 with 2.7 million men in 14 priority countries of East and Southern Africa stepping forward for medical male circumcision, leading to a cumulative total of 5.82 million males circumcised since 2008”, the brief read in parts.
This positive trend signals a shift in pace and reduces the gap towards the ambitious target of 20.8 million males circumcised by 2016.
The 14 priority countries include Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The named African countries have high rates of heterosexual HIV transmission and historically low levels of male circumcision coverage.
The brief further stated that voluntary medical male circumcision is rapidly becoming one of the most important science-based strategies for preventing HIV in eastern and southern Africa.
Achieving 80 percent coverage of voluntary medical male circumcision in 14 priority African countries would mean reaching a total of more than 20 million men, or approximately three times more than the number currently reached.
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