22 Nov 2015

The success of the Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) campaign depends on men leading by example and encouraging each other.

The Ambassador of the United States of America to Botswana, Mr Earl Miller said this during a safe male circumcision campaign in Letlhakane. 

He stated that SMC was a key strategy for HIV prevention as recommended by UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation.

Mr Miller said evidence showed that circumcision reduced the risk of HIV by approximately 60 per cent. He also noted that SMC gives protection against cervical cancer on women. He added that by averting new infections, SMC has the potential to reduce Botswana’s overall health care costs.

He said male circumcision should be considered as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package and used in conjunction with other methods of prevention such as condoms. Mr Miller noted that for men who were HIV negative, SMC was one of the best prevention tools available.

The US government, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has invested about P7 billion in Botswana’s efforts to address the epidemic over the last decade.

The joint investment, he said, was substantial and made a huge difference citing that a 71 per cent decline was witnessed in new HIV infections, with maternal to child transmission dropping from 40 per cent to less than three per cent. Life expectancy has also increased from 40 years to 64 years. 

Mr Miller said the figures demonstrate that there was hope. “We have began to change the course of the epidemic,” he said.

He, however, noted that the bid to address the HIV challenge was not yet done, adding that everyday 25 people become infected with HIV in the country.

He noted that it was more than 9 000 new infections every year. 

“ If we become complacent and lose focus in our effort to control the HIV epidemic, the tremendous gains we have achieved will unravel,” he said.

Mr Miller said there was no government or agency that could achieve the epidemic control alone, saying everyone needs to play their role.

Dr Solomon Tegegne stated that cultural acceptability of male circumcision in the Boteti Sub-district coupled with support from the Ministry of Health, developmental partners, community leaders and all other stakeholders was reasonable enough to believe that the intended target was attainable.

He said data from the District Health Management Team indicated that 434, 1 543 and 2 730 males were circumcised in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively which indicates a progressive increase in SMC uptake except in the current year.

Dr Tegegne also stated that since the inception of the accelerated circumcision campaign up to the end of September, only 291 males were circumcised while the target for the sub-district was 1 000 by the end of December. 

He also noted that SMC has other health benefits such as a decreased risk of urinary tract infection, a reduced risk of some sexually transmitted diseases in men, protection against penile cancer and a reduced risk of cervical cancer in female sex partners.

Kgosi Barontshi Kegapetswe of Letlhakane called for the infusion of culture into the process of circumcision. Ends