36, 000 males circumcised since April 1, this year

The Ministry of Health says it has so far circumcised 36, 000 males since the voluntary medical male circumcision campaign commenced on 1^st April, 2017.

Speaking at the launch of the April Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision campaign in Lusaka today, Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya says the campaign which is being held from 1^st April to 31^st May, 2017 is aimed at reducing new annual HIV infections with an overall goal of getting to zero new infections.

In a speech read on his behalf by ministry of Health Spokesperson Dr Kennedy Malama, Dr Chilufya says the ministry has targeted to reach about 108, 002 boys and men during the campaign.

He says although the HIV prevalence rate in Zambia has declined, falling by 19 percent between 2003 and 2016 to the current levels of 16.1 percent, Zambia still has one of the highest HIV burden globally with around 1.2 million people in Zambia living with HIV.

He says one of the proven HIV preventions interventions is Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision and since its inception in 2009 about 1.5 million males have been circumcised.

He however, laments that Zambia has one of the lowest voluntary medical male circumcision prevalence in the region at 22 percent primarily due to traditional and cultural beliefs.

Dr Chilufya has since called on the general public, civic, traditional, political and religious leaders to support this intervention in order to help accelerate Zambia’s pace towards an HIV free Zambia.