Rwanda: Massive circumcision effort set to start in 2010

Submitted by anthony on Tue, 2009-09-01 06:46

Story here. Excerpt:

'Kigali — A massive sensitization programme on circumcision is expected to kick off early next year as one key measure to combat HIV/AIDS.

The exercise has for long been delayed because of the lack of capable personnel to carry out the circumcisions.

Mass male-circumcision, a policy that was adopted by government last year, as a way of reducing the HIV/AIDS infection rate is at a snail-pace due to lack of capacity to carry it out countrywide, according to Dr. Richard Sezibera, the Minister of Health.
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Rwanda launched a campaign to encourage all men to be circumcised, to reduce the risk of catching HIV/AIDS. Health experts say that men who are circumcised are 60 percent more likely to be protected against HIV during sexual intercourse than those who are not.

The ministry said that soldiers, policemen and students would be asked to come forward first for circumcision. The National Coordinator of HIV clinical prevention in TRAC plus, Elévaniè Nyankesha Umuny'ana said that, once training of health specialist is done, a mass sensitization campaign of this policy will begin.'

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