VOLUNTARY MEDICAL MALE CIRCUMCISION

The Government of Malawi has adopted several prevention methods aimed at reducing sexual transmission of HIV as part of a comprehensive national response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The response has seen a decline in HIV prevalence in the adult population. Despite this and other achievements in the response, the country is still registering more than 33000 new HIV infections annually. This calls for strengthening the current HIV prevention strategies. The Malawi National HIV Prevention Strategy provides for voluntary medical male circumcision as part of the repertoire of HIV prevention interventions. Male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV acquisition by as much as 60% as demonstrated by randomized controlled trials that were conducted in some parts of Africa including Kenya and South Africa. Malawi’s own surveys on male circumcision observed this protective effect. With such strong evidence Malawi is promoting and providing safe voluntary medical male circumcision to sexually active adults. This intervention is guided by the National policy on voluntary medical male circumcision and the Voluntary medical male circumcision communication strategy and Standard operating Procedures.