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United States helps Zimbabwe prevent HIV/AIDS through male circumcision
US Embassy
September 08, 2010

The United States Government, through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partner John Snow International, supplied approximately 5,000 medical kits for use in Zimbabwe's growing program to provide male circumcision (MC) services. A proven and important way to reduce the incidence of HIV, the World Health Organization estimates that male circumcision lowers the chance of contracting HIV in males by up to 60 percent. At present, only about 10 percent of adult males in Zimbabwe are circumcised.

Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and Child Welfare is expanding its pilot male circumcision program to make these services more widely available. The Ministry has identified a goal of circumcising 80 percent of adult (ages 15-49) and newborn males in Zimbabwe by 2015. Estimates show that scaling-up medical MC services to reach 80 percent of all adult and newborn males in Zimbabwe by 2015 would reduce the number of new adult HIV infections by more than 80 percent by the end of 2025.

The circumcision kits are the first part of a US $1.5 million PEPFAR donation of medical supplies that can facilitate up to 28,000 circumcision procedures. Each kit contains the necessary equipment to perform a male circumcision, including forceps, disposable scalpels, needles and gauze. Other support is being provided by the United Nations Population Fund and Population Services International (PSI), which are partnering with USAID and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to expand male circumcision across the country.

"We are proud to support the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health in its efforts to support and promote widespread use of male circumcision in the fight against HIV/AIDS," said USAID Health Development Officer Peter Halpert. "Male circumcision is a new and innovative way of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and we urge young men to consider the procedure."

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.

The United States remains fully committed and engaged with Zimbabwe in the fight against HIV/AIDS through PEPFAR, including the Government of Zimbabwe's scale up of antiretroviral treatment. In 2010, the number of people receiving ARVs with direct PEPFAR funding increased to 59,000, up from 40,000 in 2009. PEPFAR's 2011 budget for Zimbabwe is increasing by more than 20% (US$10 million) over this current year to a total of US$57.5 million. This follows a doubling of the Zimbabwe PEPFAR budget from 2009 to 2010 (from approximately US$26 million in 2009 to US$47.5 million in 2010). Much of that increase came as part of President Obama's pledge of assistance to Zimbabwe. PEPFAR programs are implemented in Zimbabwe by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USAID, and the Embassy's Public Affairs Section (PAS), under the leadership of the Embassy.

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