The Ministry of Health is to roll-out non-surgical circumcision in hospitals and health centers in Elgon region starting October. Dr Barbara Nanteza, the National Safe Male Circumcision Coordinator, explained that this kind of circumcision is painless and completed in the short time, adding that it also allows the person circumcised to carry on with his daily routine work immediately after circumcision.
The Ministry of Health is to roll-out non-surgical circumcision in hospitals and health centers in Elgon region starting October.
The non-surgical circumcision medically known as Prepex device is a method of circumcision that does not require surgery or injectable anesthesia as opposed to surgical male circumcision currently used in the fight to reduce the HIV/AIDs prevalence.
Dr Barbara Nanteza, the National Safe Male Circumcision Coordinator, disclosed this yesterday during Media Dilogue at Wash and Will hotel, Mbale.
Dr Nanteza, who is also the head of Aids Control Programme in the Ministry of Health, said the Ministry in partnership with non-government organizations such as Star-E and Communication for Healthy Communities (CHC) will start in October to offer the services of non-surgical circumcision in different hospitals and health centres across the region.
She explained that this kind of circumcision is painless and completed in the short time, adding that it also allows the person circumcised to carry on with his daily routine work immediately after circumcision.
Dr Nanteza said the Prepex Device circumcision will significantly work towards rapid scale-up of Safe Male Circumcision in the fight for HIV/AIDs reduction in region. She was however fast to explain that surgical male circumcision does not prevent HIV/AIDS infection but only reduces chances.
The Prepex device consists of many categories which include an inner ring, elastic ring, placement ring, and a verification thread among others.
The Prepex devices will be placed on the male organ with a special ring under the foreskin and special elastic ring over the foreskin, after which the distal foreskin becomes necrotic, allowing easy and bloodless removal.
Dr. John Baptist Waniaye, the Mbale District Health Officer, also added voice that being circumcised is not bullet proof against acquiring the infection. He said as ministry of health together with development partners is adding up all measures to check the infection prevalence in the region and country at large.
According to Uganda Aids Indictor Survey, 2011; Mid-Eastern has the highest number of circumcised populace at about 53% followed by East Central with 42% and Mid Northern with the lowest circumcised populace with only 2%. South Western region registered 10%.
Fred Wambede
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