Over 19,000 men in KK targeted for circumcision  

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Male circumcision

Despite the lack of clear evidence connecting circumcision to the drop in the spread of HIV, Nkhotakota district health office has disclosed that it will embark on a massive campaign of male circumcision that is targeting over 19,000 men in the district.

Male circumcision
Circumcision target thousands in Nkhotakota. (File)

The campaign is scheduled to run from this month to June next year which will see among other things the establishment of three male medical circumcision centres in addition to existing four in the district.

Meanwhile, the district health office has incorporated Angaliba in the exercise as they have been tasked to mobilise children awaiting circumcision when schools close.

District coordinator for the exercise, Limbani Luwe, said a team of 12 medical personnel has been trained adding a contingent of 30 is expected to be trained for the exercise.

“We have taken over the exercise from Angaliba. It will start from July this year up to June 2017. We thought of doing it together with them (Angaliba) with an aim of rectifying irregularities that surround medical and traditional circumcision,” he said.

A similar exercise in Chikhwawa left a child with his private parts mutilated.

On whether prisoners would be circumcised Luwe said: “At present, there are legal provisions that restrict us. But we are in a process of consulting our counterparts (prison authorities).”

Government started the exercise as a pilot in 2012 at Bwaila medical circumcision clinic in Lilongwe in partnership with I-TECH.

Research, however, previously revealed that there is not conclusive evidence to support claims that male circumcision reduces HIV infection.

In our previous investigation, we also found that males who undergo circumcision are likely to get infection than their uncircumcised counterparts.

For more on circumcision, read the following articles posted previously on Malawi24:

For more on circumcision, read the following articles:

  1. https://malawi24.com/2015/08/04/circumcision-disaster-malawi-hiv-infection-rate-doubles/
  2.  https://malawi24.com/2015/07/25/malawian-circumcised-men-most-likely-to-be-infected-by-hiv-research-shows/