Over 360,000 men in Lilongwe District have been reached with Voluntary Male Medical Circumcission (VMMC) services and 800 000 people have been reached with VMMC messages.
The significant numbers are coming from Project Dolo that is creating awareness and engaging the targeted population.
Project Dolo is a five year US President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-funded project through Centre for Disease Control which aims to provide high quality and comprehensive VMMC services to eligible adolescent and adult men within the ages of 15years onwards.
Speaking during a media briefing, Abigail Bonongwe, the Dolo Project Manager attributed the success to quality service provision, available service facillities and good demand creation strategies.
”The Dolo project has established VMMC services in 31 static facilities across Lilongwe District. These facilities provide a safe and accessible environment for men seeking circumcision services.
”The project is also committed to delivering high-quality VMMC services by ensuring that all procedures are conducted by trained healthcare professionals, following established medical standards and protocols. In order to create demand for VMMC services, the project uses multifaceted demand creation strategies,” added Bonongwe.
A visit at Kabudula Community Hospital one among many facillities where the project is being implemented, established that 60 males are circumcised weekly at the facility.
Kabudula Zone Team Leader Joseph Chirambo said the demand is still there despite the zone fairing good.
Speaking earlier, a Clinician at Kabudula Community Hospital Tembani Chaluka said the Dolo project alone creates demand making the facillity to handle many VMMC clients.
Reported by Tiyanjane Mambucha
