Jhpiego urges men to get circumcised

Jhpiego has urged men in Chikwawa District to undergo voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) to protect their wives from cervical cancer and prevent the spread of HIV.

In an interview yesterday, Jhpiego Chikwawa district communication director Misheck Chiwanda said they are implementing a project to scale up VMMC.

“Since October last year, 26 465 men have undergone voluntary medical circumcision in the district. We urge more men to get circumcised to reduce HIV infections and protect their wives from cervical cancer,” he said.

Limbani Nditani from Senior Chief Ngabu’s area, who underwent VMMC, urged fellow men to get circumcised.

“This is one of the ways approved by the Ministry of Health to reduce the spread of HIV in the country. We need to embrace it so that we create an HIV-free society,” he said.

Chikwawa District Health Office spokesperson Settie Piriminta said the project’s primary objective is to scale up HIV preventive measures, reduce the spread of cervical cancer and promote healthy hygiene in the district.

“At first we targeted males aged between 15 and 49, but now we have extended to infants. However, I ask men who have accessed male circumcision to avoid unsafe sex,” he said.

VMMC reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 60 percent. Other measures to prevent the spread of HIV are proper use of condoms, avoiding sharp objects, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and prevention of mother to child transmission.

VMMC is being implemented in Chikwawa by the Ministry of Health alongside Jhpiegoand the Catholic Health Commission with funding from USaid.